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Name

mkdir - make a directory

Synopsis


#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

int mkdir(const char *path, mode_t mode);

MT-Level

Async-Signal-Safe

Description

mkdir() creates a new directory named by the path name pointed to by path. The mode of the new directory is initialized from mode (see chmod(2) for values of mode). The protection part of the mode argument is modified by the process’s file creation mask (see umask(2) ).

The directory’s owner ID is set to the process’s effective user ID . The directory’s group ID is set to the process’s effective group ID , or if the S_ISGID bit is set in the parent directory, then the group ID of the directory is inherited from the parent. The S_ISGID bit of the new directory is inherited from the parent directory.

If path is a symbolic link, it is not followed.

The newly created directory is empty with the exception of entries for itself (.) and its parent directory (..).

Upon successful completion, mkdir() marks for update the st_atime, st_ctime and st_mtime fields of the directory. Also, the st_ctime and st_mtime fields of the directory that contains the new entry are marked for update.

Return Values

Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned, and errno is set to indicate the error.

Errors

mkdir() fails and creates no directory if one or more of the following are true:

EACCES
Either a component of the path prefix denies search permission or write permission is denied on the parent directory of the directory to be created.
EDQUOT
The directory where the new file entry is being placed cannot be extended because the user’s quota of disk blocks on that file system has been exhausted.
The new directory cannot be created because the user’s
quota of disk blocks on that file system has been exhausted.
The user’s quota of inodes on the file system where
the file is being created has been exhausted.
EEXIST
The named file already exists.
EFAULT
path points to an illegal address.
EIO
An I/O error has occurred while accessing the file system.
ELOOP
Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating path.
EMLINK
The maximum number of links to the parent directory would be exceeded.
EMULTIHOP
Components of path require hopping to multiple remote machines and the file system type does not allow it.
ENAMETOOLONG
The length of the path argument exceeds {PATH_MAX}, or the length of a path component exceeds {NAME_MAX} while {_POSIX_NO_TRUNC} is in effect.
ENOENT
A component of the path prefix does not exist or is a null pathname.
ENOLINK
path points to a remote machine and the link to that machine is no longer active.
ENOSPC
No free space is available on the device containing the directory.
ENOTDIR
A component of the path prefix is not a directory.
EROFS
The path prefix resides on a read-only file system.

See Also

chmod(2) , mknod(2) , umask(2) , stat(5)

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