Create directory recursively in python for linux

Question

I am trying to create directory recursively using a Python script, but am getting and error.

Code:

import os
a = "abc"
os.makedirs('/root/test_{}'.format(a), exist_ok=True)

Error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "mk.py", line 3, in <module>
    os.makedirs('/root/test_{}'.format(a), exist_ok=True)
  TypeError: makedirs() got an unexpected keyword argument 'exist_ok'

I am using python2.7 and the above option does not work in this version? If not, what is alternate solution?

exist_ok is "new" in version 3.2

wim
– wim

2018-01-15 04:07:30 +00:00
Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 4:07 — wim
– wim, Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 4:07

Stephen Rauch · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-15 04:23:12Z

3

os.makedirs() is the correct function, but is has no parameter exist_ok in Python 2. Instead use os.path.exists() like:

if not os.path.exists(path_to_make):
    os.makedirs(path_to_make)

Be aware that this does not exactly match the bahavior of the exist_ok flag in Python3. Closer to matching that would be something like:

if os.path.exists(path_to_make):
    if not os.path.isdir(path_to_make):
        raise OSError("Cannot create a file when that file already exists: "
                      "'{}'".format(path_to_make))
else:
    os.makedirs(path_to_make)

edited Jan 15, 2018 at 4:23

answered Jan 15, 2018 at 4:06

Stephen Rauch♦

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7 Comments

wim Over a year ago

No, this has not the same behaviour.

Stephen Rauch Over a year ago

@wim, Really? Why not? What am I missing?

wim Over a year ago

For example if a file with the name exists (not a directory).

Mad Physicist Over a year ago

Doesn't that check technically get applied to every part of the path.

tripleee Over a year ago

This code has a race condition (another process could execute a system call between the system calls from this process to check for existence and for creating an entry). A more robust approach is to just attempt to create eaoh directory, and catch the error for "directory already exists". Handling "name exists but isn't a directory" is an interesting challenge.

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