mktemp-d

Never create a temporary file or directory at a hardcoded path under /tmp. Always allocate a private directory with mktemp -d and place all temporary artifacts inside it.

Why

mktemp -d returns a unique, private directory. A hardcoded path under /tmp does not — it collides with concurrent runs and any leftover state from prior runs.

Rule

One mktemp -d per logical scope, then build paths inside it:

tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)