Rewrote mkdir (and touched lots of things in the process).
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 03feb63..89d56d5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@
 LIBBB	  = libbb
 LIBBB_LIB = libbb.a
 LIBBB_CSRC= ask_confirmation.c chomp.c concat_path_file.c copy_file.c \
-copy_file_chunk.c create_path.c daemon.c device_open.c error_msg.c \
+copy_file_chunk.c daemon.c device_open.c error_msg.c \
 error_msg_and_die.c fgets_str.c find_mount_point.c find_pid_by_name.c \
 find_root_device.c full_read.c full_write.c get_console.c \
 get_last_path_component.c get_line_from_file.c gz_open.c human_readable.c \
@@ -248,7 +248,8 @@
 safe_read.c safe_strncpy.c syscalls.c syslog_msg_with_name.c time_string.c \
 trim.c unarchive.c unzip.c vdprintf.c verror_msg.c vperror_msg.c wfopen.c xfuncs.c \
 xgetcwd.c xreadlink.c xregcomp.c interface.c remove_file.c last_char_is.c \
-copyfd.c vherror_msg.c herror_msg.c herror_msg_and_die.c xgethostbyname.c
+copyfd.c vherror_msg.c herror_msg.c herror_msg_and_die.c xgethostbyname.c \
+dirname.c make_directory.c strdup_substr.c
 LIBBB_OBJS=$(patsubst %.c,$(LIBBB)/%.o, $(LIBBB_CSRC))
 LIBBB_CFLAGS = -I$(LIBBB)
 ifneq ($(strip $(BB_SRC_DIR)),)
diff --git a/archival/dpkg.c b/archival/dpkg.c
index 4224672..7dd46be 100644
--- a/archival/dpkg.c
+++ b/archival/dpkg.c
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@
 		optind++;
 	}
 
-	create_path(infodir, S_IRWXU);
+	make_directory(infodir, S_IRWXU, FILEUTILS_RECUR);
 
 	status = status_read();
 
diff --git a/archival/tar.c b/archival/tar.c
index 55fb12c..e68194f 100644
--- a/archival/tar.c
+++ b/archival/tar.c
@@ -338,7 +338,9 @@
 	if (extractFlag==TRUE && tostdoutFlag==FALSE) {
 		/* Create the path to the file, just in case it isn't there...
 		 * This should not screw up path permissions or anything. */
-		create_path(header->name, 0777);
+		char *dir = dirname (header->name);
+		make_directory (dir, -1, FILEUTILS_RECUR);
+		free (dir);
 		if ((outFd=open(header->name, O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_WRONLY, 
 						header->mode & ~S_IFMT)) < 0) {
 			error_msg(io_error, header->name, strerror(errno)); 
@@ -397,8 +399,7 @@
 	if (extractFlag==FALSE || tostdoutFlag==TRUE)
 		return( TRUE);
 
-	if (create_path(header->name, header->mode) != TRUE) {
-		perror_msg("%s: Cannot mkdir", header->name); 
+	if (make_directory(header->name, header->mode, FILEUTILS_RECUR) < 0) {
 		return( FALSE);
 	}
 	/* make the final component, just in case it was
diff --git a/coreutils/dirname.c b/coreutils/dirname.c
index 935a831..b534e69 100644
--- a/coreutils/dirname.c
+++ b/coreutils/dirname.c
@@ -30,21 +30,11 @@
 
 extern int dirname_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	char* s;
-
 	if ((argc < 2) || (**(argv + 1) == '-'))
 		show_usage();
 	argv++;
 
-	s=*argv+strlen(*argv)-1;
-	while (s > *argv && *s == '/') {
-		*s-- = '\0';
-	}
-	s = strrchr(*argv, '/');
-	if (s != NULL && s == *argv)
-		s[1] = '\0';
-	else if (s != NULL)
-		*s = '\0';
-	puts(s ? *argv : ".");
+	puts (dirname (argv[0]));
+
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/coreutils/mkdir.c b/coreutils/mkdir.c
index d78f57e..03c49f0 100644
--- a/coreutils/mkdir.c
+++ b/coreutils/mkdir.c
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 /*
  * Mini mkdir implementation for busybox
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1999,2000,2001 by Lineo, inc.
- * Written by Erik Andersen <andersen@lineo.com>, <andersee@debian.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Matt Kraai <kraai@alumni.carnegiemellon.edu>
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -21,79 +20,45 @@
  *
  */
 
-#include <stdio.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <string.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
 #include "busybox.h"
 
-
-static int parentFlag = FALSE;
-static mode_t mode = 0777;
-
-
-extern int mkdir_main(int argc, char **argv)
+extern int mkdir_main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int i = FALSE;
+	mode_t mode = -1;
+	int flags = 0;
+	int status = 0;
+	int i, opt;
 
-	argc--;
-	argv++;
-
-	/* Parse any options */
-	while (argc > 0 && **argv == '-') {
-		while (i == FALSE && *++(*argv)) {
-			switch (**argv) {
-			case 'm':
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					show_usage();
-				/* Find the specified modes */
-				mode = 0;
-				if (parse_mode(*(++argv), &mode) == FALSE) {
-					error_msg_and_die("Unknown mode: %s", *argv);
-				}
-				/* Set the umask for this process so it doesn't 
-				 * screw up whatever the user just entered. */
-				umask(0);
-				i = TRUE;
-				break;
-			case 'p':
-				parentFlag = TRUE;
-				break;
-			default:
-				show_usage();
-			}
+	while ((opt = getopt (argc, argv, "m:p")) != -1) {
+		switch (opt) {
+		case 'm':
+			mode = 0777;
+			if (!parse_mode (optarg, &mode))
+				error_msg_and_die ("invalid mode `%s'", optarg);
+			break;
+		case 'p':
+			flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;
+			break;
+		default:
+			show_usage ();
 		}
-		argc--;
-		argv++;
 	}
 
-	if (argc < 1) {
-		show_usage();
-	}
+	if (optind == argc)
+		show_usage ();
 
-	while (argc > 0) {
-		int status;
-		struct stat statBuf;
-		char buf[BUFSIZ + 1];
+	for (i = optind; i < argc; i++)
+		if (make_directory (argv[i], mode, flags) < 0)
+			status = 1;
 
-		if (strlen(*argv) > BUFSIZ - 1) {
-			error_msg_and_die(name_too_long);
-		}
-		strcpy(buf, *argv);
-		status = stat(buf, &statBuf);
-		if (parentFlag == FALSE && status != -1 && errno != ENOENT) {
-			error_msg_and_die("%s: File exists", buf);
-		}
-		if (parentFlag == TRUE) {
-			strcat(buf, "/");
-			create_path(buf, mode);
-		} else {
-			if (mkdir(buf, mode) != 0 && parentFlag == FALSE) {
-				perror_msg_and_die(buf);
-			}
-		}
-		argc--;
-		argv++;
-	}
-	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+	return status;
 }
diff --git a/dirname.c b/dirname.c
index 935a831..b534e69 100644
--- a/dirname.c
+++ b/dirname.c
@@ -30,21 +30,11 @@
 
 extern int dirname_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	char* s;
-
 	if ((argc < 2) || (**(argv + 1) == '-'))
 		show_usage();
 	argv++;
 
-	s=*argv+strlen(*argv)-1;
-	while (s > *argv && *s == '/') {
-		*s-- = '\0';
-	}
-	s = strrchr(*argv, '/');
-	if (s != NULL && s == *argv)
-		s[1] = '\0';
-	else if (s != NULL)
-		*s = '\0';
-	puts(s ? *argv : ".");
+	puts (dirname (argv[0]));
+
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/dpkg.c b/dpkg.c
index 4224672..7dd46be 100644
--- a/dpkg.c
+++ b/dpkg.c
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@
 		optind++;
 	}
 
-	create_path(infodir, S_IRWXU);
+	make_directory(infodir, S_IRWXU, FILEUTILS_RECUR);
 
 	status = status_read();
 
diff --git a/editors/sed.c b/editors/sed.c
index e7208b0..89b1668 100644
--- a/editors/sed.c
+++ b/editors/sed.c
@@ -195,15 +195,6 @@
 	return idx;
 }
 
-static char *strdup_substr(const char *str, int start, int end)
-{
-	int size = end - start + 1;
-	char *newstr = xmalloc(size);
-	memcpy(newstr, str+start, size-1);
-	newstr[size-1] = '\0';
-	return newstr;
-}
-
 static int parse_subst_cmd(struct sed_cmd *sed_cmd, const char *substr)
 {
 	int oldidx, cflags = REG_NEWLINE;
diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index e42ca9f..c83cb7e 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -243,6 +243,10 @@
 
 extern struct hostent *xgethostbyname(const char *name);
 
+char *dirname (const char *path);
+char *strdup_substr (const char *s, int start, int end);
+int make_directory (char *path, mode_t mode, int flags);
+
 #define CT_AUTO	0
 #define CT_UNIX2DOS	1
 #define CT_DOS2UNIX	2
diff --git a/libbb/create_path.c b/libbb/create_path.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 328afc3..0000000
--- a/libbb/create_path.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
-/*
- * Utility routines.
- *
- * Copyright (C) tons of folks.  Tracking down who wrote what
- * isn't something I'm going to worry about...  If you wrote something
- * here, please feel free to acknowledge your work.
- *
- * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
- * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
- * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
- * (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
- * General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
- * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
- *
- * Based in part on code from sash, Copyright (c) 1999 by David I. Bell 
- * Permission has been granted to redistribute this code under the GPL.
- *
- */
-
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include "libbb.h"
-
-/*
- * Attempt to create the directories along the specified path, except for
- * the final component.  The mode is given for the final directory only,
- * while all previous ones get default protections.  Errors are not reported
- * here, as failures to restore files can be reported later.
- */
-extern int create_path(const char *name, int mode)
-{
-	char *cp;
-	char *cpOld;
-	char buf[BUFSIZ + 1];
-	int retVal = 0;
-
-	strcpy(buf, name);
-	for (cp = buf; *cp == '/'; cp++);
-	cp = strchr(cp, '/');
-	while (cp) {
-		cpOld = cp;
-		cp = strchr(cp + 1, '/');
-		*cpOld = '\0';
-		retVal = mkdir(buf, cp ? 0777 : mode);
-		if (retVal != 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
-			perror_msg("%s", buf);
-			return FALSE;
-		}
-		*cpOld = '/';
-	}
-	return TRUE;
-}
-
-
-/* END CODE */
-/*
-Local Variables:
-c-file-style: "linux"
-c-basic-offset: 4
-tab-width: 4
-End:
-*/
diff --git a/libbb/dirname.c b/libbb/dirname.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e89fc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbb/dirname.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * Mini dirname function.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2001  Matt Kraai.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+ */
+
+#include "libbb.h"
+
+/* Return a string on the heap containing the directory component of PATH.  */
+
+char *dirname(const char *path)
+{
+	const char *s;
+
+	/* Go to the end of the string.  */
+	s = path + strlen(path) - 1;
+
+	/* Strip off trailing /s (unless it is also the leading /).  */
+	while (path < s && s[0] == '/')
+		s--;
+
+	/* Strip the last component.  */
+	while (path <= s && s[0] != '/')
+		s--;
+
+	while (path < s && s[0] == '/')
+		s--;
+
+	if (s < path)
+		return xstrdup (".");
+	else
+		return strdup_substr (path, 0, s - path + 1);
+}
diff --git a/libbb/libbb.h b/libbb/libbb.h
index e42ca9f..c83cb7e 100644
--- a/libbb/libbb.h
+++ b/libbb/libbb.h
@@ -243,6 +243,10 @@
 
 extern struct hostent *xgethostbyname(const char *name);
 
+char *dirname (const char *path);
+char *strdup_substr (const char *s, int start, int end);
+int make_directory (char *path, mode_t mode, int flags);
+
 #define CT_AUTO	0
 #define CT_UNIX2DOS	1
 #define CT_DOS2UNIX	2
diff --git a/libbb/make_directory.c b/libbb/make_directory.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2e28a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbb/make_directory.c
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * Mini make_directory implementation for busybox
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2001  Matt Kraai.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "libbb.h"
+
+/* Create the directory PATH with mode MODE, or the default if MODE is -1.
+ * Also create parent directories as necessary if flags contains
+ * FILEUTILS_RECUR.  */
+
+int make_directory (char *path, mode_t mode, int flags)
+{
+	if (!(flags & FILEUTILS_RECUR)) {
+		if (mkdir (path, 0777) < 0) {
+			perror_msg ("Cannot create directory `%s'", path);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (mode != -1 && chmod (path, mode) < 0) {
+			perror_msg ("Cannot set permissions of directory `%s'", path);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	} else {
+		struct stat st;
+
+		if (stat (path, &st) < 0 && errno == ENOENT) {
+			char *parent = dirname (path);
+			mode_t mask = umask (0);
+			umask (mask);
+
+			if (make_directory (parent, (0777 & ~mask) | 0300,
+						FILEUTILS_RECUR) < 0)
+				return -1;
+			free (parent);
+
+			if (make_directory (path, mode, 0) < 0)
+				return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/libbb/strdup_substr.c b/libbb/strdup_substr.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4542d5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbb/strdup_substr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * Mini strdup_substr function.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2001  Mark Whitley.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+ */
+
+/* Return a substring of STR, starting at index START and ending at END,
+ * allocated on the heap.  */
+
+char *strdup_substr(const char *str, int start, int end)
+{
+	int size = end - start + 1;
+	char *newstr = xmalloc(size);
+	memcpy(newstr, str+start, size-1);
+	newstr[size-1] = '\0';
+	return newstr;
+}
diff --git a/mkdir.c b/mkdir.c
index d78f57e..03c49f0 100644
--- a/mkdir.c
+++ b/mkdir.c
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 /*
  * Mini mkdir implementation for busybox
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1999,2000,2001 by Lineo, inc.
- * Written by Erik Andersen <andersen@lineo.com>, <andersee@debian.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Matt Kraai <kraai@alumni.carnegiemellon.edu>
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -21,79 +20,45 @@
  *
  */
 
-#include <stdio.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <string.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
 #include "busybox.h"
 
-
-static int parentFlag = FALSE;
-static mode_t mode = 0777;
-
-
-extern int mkdir_main(int argc, char **argv)
+extern int mkdir_main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int i = FALSE;
+	mode_t mode = -1;
+	int flags = 0;
+	int status = 0;
+	int i, opt;
 
-	argc--;
-	argv++;
-
-	/* Parse any options */
-	while (argc > 0 && **argv == '-') {
-		while (i == FALSE && *++(*argv)) {
-			switch (**argv) {
-			case 'm':
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					show_usage();
-				/* Find the specified modes */
-				mode = 0;
-				if (parse_mode(*(++argv), &mode) == FALSE) {
-					error_msg_and_die("Unknown mode: %s", *argv);
-				}
-				/* Set the umask for this process so it doesn't 
-				 * screw up whatever the user just entered. */
-				umask(0);
-				i = TRUE;
-				break;
-			case 'p':
-				parentFlag = TRUE;
-				break;
-			default:
-				show_usage();
-			}
+	while ((opt = getopt (argc, argv, "m:p")) != -1) {
+		switch (opt) {
+		case 'm':
+			mode = 0777;
+			if (!parse_mode (optarg, &mode))
+				error_msg_and_die ("invalid mode `%s'", optarg);
+			break;
+		case 'p':
+			flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;
+			break;
+		default:
+			show_usage ();
 		}
-		argc--;
-		argv++;
 	}
 
-	if (argc < 1) {
-		show_usage();
-	}
+	if (optind == argc)
+		show_usage ();
 
-	while (argc > 0) {
-		int status;
-		struct stat statBuf;
-		char buf[BUFSIZ + 1];
+	for (i = optind; i < argc; i++)
+		if (make_directory (argv[i], mode, flags) < 0)
+			status = 1;
 
-		if (strlen(*argv) > BUFSIZ - 1) {
-			error_msg_and_die(name_too_long);
-		}
-		strcpy(buf, *argv);
-		status = stat(buf, &statBuf);
-		if (parentFlag == FALSE && status != -1 && errno != ENOENT) {
-			error_msg_and_die("%s: File exists", buf);
-		}
-		if (parentFlag == TRUE) {
-			strcat(buf, "/");
-			create_path(buf, mode);
-		} else {
-			if (mkdir(buf, mode) != 0 && parentFlag == FALSE) {
-				perror_msg_and_die(buf);
-			}
-		}
-		argc--;
-		argv++;
-	}
-	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+	return status;
 }
diff --git a/sed.c b/sed.c
index e7208b0..89b1668 100644
--- a/sed.c
+++ b/sed.c
@@ -195,15 +195,6 @@
 	return idx;
 }
 
-static char *strdup_substr(const char *str, int start, int end)
-{
-	int size = end - start + 1;
-	char *newstr = xmalloc(size);
-	memcpy(newstr, str+start, size-1);
-	newstr[size-1] = '\0';
-	return newstr;
-}
-
 static int parse_subst_cmd(struct sed_cmd *sed_cmd, const char *substr)
 {
 	int oldidx, cflags = REG_NEWLINE;
diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index 55fb12c..e68194f 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -338,7 +338,9 @@
 	if (extractFlag==TRUE && tostdoutFlag==FALSE) {
 		/* Create the path to the file, just in case it isn't there...
 		 * This should not screw up path permissions or anything. */
-		create_path(header->name, 0777);
+		char *dir = dirname (header->name);
+		make_directory (dir, -1, FILEUTILS_RECUR);
+		free (dir);
 		if ((outFd=open(header->name, O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_WRONLY, 
 						header->mode & ~S_IFMT)) < 0) {
 			error_msg(io_error, header->name, strerror(errno)); 
@@ -397,8 +399,7 @@
 	if (extractFlag==FALSE || tostdoutFlag==TRUE)
 		return( TRUE);
 
-	if (create_path(header->name, header->mode) != TRUE) {
-		perror_msg("%s: Cannot mkdir", header->name); 
+	if (make_directory(header->name, header->mode, FILEUTILS_RECUR) < 0) {
 		return( FALSE);
 	}
 	/* make the final component, just in case it was