mkdir that overwrites any existing directory

If I try to run mkdir build to create a build directory, if the directory already exists, this error is thrown: A subdirectory or file build already exists.. I need to delete and overwrite this directory. What is the command for that?

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

add a comment |

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

add a comment |

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

windows command-line mkdir

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

edited Jan 1 at 18:12

valiano

229110

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

asked Aug 19 '12 at 21:14

Shawn Mclean

2234616

add a comment |

5 Answers
5

active

oldest

votes

You can delete the build directory with

rd /s /q build

if exist build rd /s /q build

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

add a comment |

I don't think it is possible to use the mkdir command to do that natively (though if you were will to do a bit more scripting, it would be possible).

A simple alternative is the following command in powershell:

New-Item path -type directory -force

Where path is something like C:usersnamebuild

For more on New-Item see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176914.aspx

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

add a comment |

I wanted to create directory only if it does not exist

If it exists, nothing to do

Below worked great in the bat file:

if not exist someDir1 mkdir someDir1

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

add a comment |

You can try the rd command to remove the directory. You have to ensure the directory is empty first though.

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

add a comment |

-3

This command can help:

mkdir -p a & rm -r a & mkdir a

This my answer in stackoverflow

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

add a comment |

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5 Answers
5

active

oldest

votes

5 Answers
5

active

oldest

votes

You can delete the build directory with

rd /s /q build

if exist build rd /s /q build

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

add a comment |

You can delete the build directory with

rd /s /q build

if exist build rd /s /q build

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

add a comment |

You can delete the build directory with

rd /s /q build

if exist build rd /s /q build

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

You can delete the build directory with

rd /s /q build

if exist build rd /s /q build

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:55

Harry Johnston

4,41152349

add a comment |

I don't think it is possible to use the mkdir command to do that natively (though if you were will to do a bit more scripting, it would be possible).

A simple alternative is the following command in powershell:

New-Item path -type directory -force

Where path is something like C:usersnamebuild

For more on New-Item see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176914.aspx

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

add a comment |

I don't think it is possible to use the mkdir command to do that natively (though if you were will to do a bit more scripting, it would be possible).

A simple alternative is the following command in powershell:

New-Item path -type directory -force

Where path is something like C:usersnamebuild

For more on New-Item see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176914.aspx

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

add a comment |

I don't think it is possible to use the mkdir command to do that natively (though if you were will to do a bit more scripting, it would be possible).

A simple alternative is the following command in powershell:

New-Item path -type directory -force

Where path is something like C:usersnamebuild

For more on New-Item see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176914.aspx

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

I don't think it is possible to use the mkdir command to do that natively (though if you were will to do a bit more scripting, it would be possible).

A simple alternative is the following command in powershell:

New-Item path -type directory -force

Where path is something like C:usersnamebuild

For more on New-Item see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176914.aspx

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:23

soandos

20.2k2892130

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

add a comment |

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

I can't execute powershell as I'm calling this from a rake script.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:29

add a comment |

I wanted to create directory only if it does not exist

If it exists, nothing to do

Below worked great in the bat file:

if not exist someDir1 mkdir someDir1

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

add a comment |

I wanted to create directory only if it does not exist

If it exists, nothing to do

Below worked great in the bat file:

if not exist someDir1 mkdir someDir1

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

add a comment |

I wanted to create directory only if it does not exist

If it exists, nothing to do

Below worked great in the bat file:

if not exist someDir1 mkdir someDir1

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

I wanted to create directory only if it does not exist

If it exists, nothing to do

Below worked great in the bat file:

if not exist someDir1 mkdir someDir1

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

answered Jun 15 '17 at 11:04

Manohar Reddy Poreddy

1515

add a comment |

You can try the rd command to remove the directory. You have to ensure the directory is empty first though.

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

add a comment |

You can try the rd command to remove the directory. You have to ensure the directory is empty first though.

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

add a comment |

You can try the rd command to remove the directory. You have to ensure the directory is empty first though.

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

You can try the rd command to remove the directory. You have to ensure the directory is empty first though.

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

edited Sep 14 '12 at 13:16

Dave

23.3k74363

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

answered Aug 19 '12 at 21:25

Henry

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

add a comment |

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

This throws an error if there are elements in the directory.

– Shawn Mclean
Aug 19 '12 at 21:27

add a comment |

-3

This command can help:

mkdir -p a & rm -r a & mkdir a

This my answer in stackoverflow

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

add a comment |

-3

This command can help:

mkdir -p a & rm -r a & mkdir a

This my answer in stackoverflow

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

add a comment |

-3

This command can help:

mkdir -p a & rm -r a & mkdir a

This my answer in stackoverflow

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

This command can help:

mkdir -p a & rm -r a & mkdir a

This my answer in stackoverflow

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

edited May 23 '17 at 12:41

Community♦

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

answered Aug 26 '16 at 16:32

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

952

1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

add a comment |

1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is using Windows not Unix.

– DavidPostill♦
Aug 27 '16 at 7:16

add a comment |

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