MH-MKSTEMP(1mh)

📦
version 1.8 · 3 versions
, in debian trixie, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 MH-MKSTEMP — bestie edition 💖

okay so you know the mkstemp command from the nmh manual, section 1mh? yeah. we're doing this. sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, and let's make a temporary file together, it's literally so easy.

✨ NAME ✨

mkstemp — create a temporary file 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

/usr/lib/mh/mkstemp [-help] [-version] [-directory directory] [-prefix
     prefix] [-suffix suffix]

that's it. that's the whole vibe. she's simple, she's iconic 👑

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so mkstemp makes you a temporary file — it's using mkstemp(3) under the hood, or mkstemps(3) if the -suffix switch is available and you actually use it. the file name it gives you identifies a unique, newly created file, and no cap it always contains 6 characters that appear to be random. six. every time. 💅

the -directory switch tells it which directory to create the file in. like, where do you want this lil guy to live bestie 🏠

the -prefix switch sets an initial part of the file name — it goes before those 6 characters. so you can name your temp file something cute instead of it being anonymous.

the -suffix switch, okay listen, this one's conditional — it's only supported on platforms that provide the mkstemps(3) library function. it specifies a suffix to appear after the 6 characters. and heads up: if you want that suffix to begin with a special character like a period, that has to be explicit in suffix — it will not do it for you, it does not read your mind 🙈

and here's the lowkey weird part that's actually so slay: unlike arguments to most switches of other nmh commands, the arguments to mkstemp switches can begin with a dash. fr fr. dashes allowed. wild, I know 💀

✨ EXIT STATUS ✨

  • if mkstemp successfully creates the temporary file, it prints the file name on standard output and exits with status 0. slay. ✨
  • on failure, it prints a diagnostic message on standard error and exits with status 1. not slay. 😭

✨ PROFILE COMPONENTS ✨

None

nothing. empty. zero. it's giving minimalism 🦋

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

mkstemp(3), mkstemps(3)

go read those too, they're the main characters of this whole thing iykyk 📚

✨ DEFAULTS ✨

  • -directory — current directory
  • -prefix — none
  • -suffix — none
reminder bestie: this page is from nmh-1.8, dated 2014-03-16. go make your temp files, you're doing amazing, mwah 💖🫶🌸
📦 where this page comes from