mktemp – Create temporary files for use by shell scripts

The mktemp command is used to create temporary files and directories that can be used by shell scripts. These files and directories are created with unique names to avoid collisions with other files or directories. The mktemp command is particularly useful when creating files or directories that will only be used temporarily, as it automatically removes them when they are no longer needed.

Overview

The basic syntax of the mktemp command is as follows:

mktemp [OPTION]... [TEMPLATE]

The TEMPLATE argument is a string that specifies the format of the temporary file or directory name. The string should contain at least six ‘X’ characters, which will be replaced with random characters to create a unique name.

Here is an example of how to create a temporary file using the mktemp command:

$ mktemp /tmp/tempfile.XXXXXX
/tmp/tempfile.2b3d5f

In this example, the mktemp command creates a file called /tmp/tempfile.2b3d5f. The six ‘X’ characters in the TEMPLATE argument are replaced with random characters to create a unique name.

Here is an example of how to create a temporary directory using the mktemp command:

$ mktemp -d /tmp/tempdir.XXXXXX
/tmp/tempdir.1e7a8b

In this example, the mktemp command creates a directory called /tmp/tempdir.1e7a8b. The six ‘X’ characters in the TEMPLATE argument are replaced with random characters to create a unique name.

Use cases

• Creating temporary files or directories for use in shell scripts
• Creating temporary files or directories for use in testing or debugging
• Creating temporary files or directories for use in backup or restore operations

Options

The following table lists the available options for the mktemp command:

Troubleshooting tips

• If the mktemp command fails to create a temporary file or directory, check that the specified directory exists and that the user has permission to create files or directories in that directory.
• If the mktemp command creates a file or directory with a name that already exists, the command will fail. To avoid this, use a unique TEMPLATE argument or specify a different directory using the -p option.

Notes

• The mktemp command is available on most Linux distributions and other Unix-like operating systems.
• The mktemp command is a simple and efficient way to create temporary files and directories for use in shell scripts.