{
"schema_version": "1.0",
"command": "mkdir",
"variant": "gnu",
"match": {
"probe": {
"args": ["--version"],
"expect": "success",
"output_contains": "GNU coreutils"
}
},
"mode": "authoritative",
"confidence": "verified",
"provenance": {
"platform": "linux",
"tool_version": "9.7",
"package": "coreutils",
"source": "help",
"checked_on": "2026-07-27",
"command": "docker run --rm debian@sha256:328d16499860ae6cb9b345e2e4cebca08c2a36e4f7278482c7bd1f39d71e5bfd mkdir --help",
"environment": "debian@sha256:328d16499860ae6cb9b345e2e4cebca08c2a36e4f7278482c7bd1f39d71e5bfd",
"notes": "Debian slim images ship no man pages, so the flag list was read from GNU --help, which is complete by GNU convention. No conflicts_with: --help states no mutual exclusion, and 'mkdir -Z --context=x DIR' was run against the reference build and exited 0 (with a warning that --context needs an SELinux/SMACK-enabled kernel), so -Z and --context are not exclusive. value_optional was added on 2026-08-24, read off the reference build recorded above. GNU --help spells an optional option argument as `--opt[=VAL]` and a required one as `--opt=VAL`; every flag marked here shows the bracketed form and was then run in BOTH spellings, because the notation alone is not evidence. --context is the worst-behaved of the set because it fails silently and writes to the filesystem: `mkdir --context ctx dd1` exits 0 having created TWO directories, `ctx` and `dd1`, while `mkdir --context=ctx dd2` creates one and warns that the context is ignored without an SELinux/SMACK-enabled kernel."
},
"description": "Create the DIRECTORY(ies), if they do not already exist. Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.",
"flags": [
{ "short": "-m", "long": "--mode", "type": "string", "value_name": "MODE", "description": "Set file mode (as in chmod), not a=rwx - umask." },
{ "short": "-p", "long": "--parents", "type": "boolean", "description": "No error if existing, make parent directories as needed, with their file modes unaffected by any -m option." },
{ "short": "-v", "long": "--verbose", "type": "boolean", "description": "Print a message for each created directory." },
{ "short": "-Z", "type": "boolean", "description": "Set SELinux security context of each created directory to the default type." },
{ "long": "--context", "type": "string", "value_name": "CTX", "value_optional": true, "description": "Like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX. The value is optional." },
{ "long": "--help", "type": "boolean", "description": "Display this help and exit." },
{ "long": "--version", "type": "boolean", "description": "Output version information and exit." }
],
"positional_args": [
{ "name": "directory", "type": "path", "variadic": true, "required": true, "description": "Directories to create. At least one is required." }
],
"annotations": {
"readonly": false,
"destructive": false,
"idempotent": false,
"requires_approval": false
}
}