---
title: mktemp — Create safe temporary files and directories
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Creates temporary files or directories with random names to avoid collisions and predictable-name attacks.
tags: program, File and disk management, mktemp
---

Creates temporary files or directories with random names to avoid collisions and predictable-name attacks.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | mktemp |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Creates temporary files or directories with random names to avoid collisions and predictable-name attacks. |
| Provided by | GNU coreutils (installed by default on all Linux distributions) |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/mktemp.1.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux, macOS, BSD, WSL |
| Installation Status | Installed by default (no separate installation needed) |
| Category | Linux file and disk management (tags: temporary file, security, script, coreutils) |

## What is this command?

mktemp creates a temporary file or directory with a unique name and prints its path. Hard-coded names in scripts can collide with other processes or enable symlink attacks.

The usual pattern is to store the printed path in a variable and clean it up with trap when the script exits.

## What problems does it solve?

- A script needs a safe temporary file
- Parallel runs collide on the same file name
- You need a temporary directory that is cleaned up
- You want to avoid predictable-name security issues
## Key features

### Create a temp file

With a template it appends random characters to the pattern.

- **When to use**: You need to store intermediate results
- **What you get**: A safely created file and its path
- **Limitations**: The default location is /tmp and may be cleared on reboot.
### Create a temp directory

-d creates a directory instead of a file.

- **When to use**: You want several temp files in one place
- **What you get**: A randomly named directory
- **Limitations**: You must clean up the contents yourself.
### Create in a chosen location

-p sets the base directory.

- **When to use**: You must use a volume other than /tmp
- **What you get**: A temporary entry in that location
- **Limitations**: Write permission on that directory is required.
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
mktemp --version
```

sudo apt install coreutils   # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install coreutils   # Fedora

## Real-world examples

### Get a temp file path

Store the path in a variable for later commands.

```
tmp=$(mktemp)
echo "data" > "$tmp"
rm -f "$tmp"
```

### Temp directory with cleanup

Use trap to remove it when the script exits.

```
workdir=$(mktemp -d)
trap 'rm -rf "$workdir"' EXIT
echo "$workdir"
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/filesystem/mktemp.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.