how to make a new folder on my desktop with Terminal?

flygemini wrote:

I input "mkdir -p users/lizz/Desktop/lizz01"

You need to start the pathname with a slash, which indicates the startup drive is the root of the path. Otherwise, the command will not know where to put the directory.

But a simpler way is to use the UNIX tilde shorthand for your home directory (in your case /users/lizz):

mkdir ~/Desktop/lizz01

mkdir /Users/lizz/Desktop/newFolder
mkdir ~/Desktop/newFolder

The first one is the full path to the new directory, and the second is the relative path from your home folder (represented by the tilde character). Either will do just fine. Optionally you can change directory to the existing parent folder with "cd" (change directory) and then use "mkdir newFolder" to create the folder in the current location.

If you want to create a new folder within another new folder (ie, both are new), then you will include the -p tag as follows:

mkdir -p /Users/lizz/Desktop/newFolder1/newFolder2
mkdir -p ~/Desktop/newFolder1/newFolder2

cd into the desktop and try a new folder from there?

I did;

cd desktop

mkdir test

A new folder called test popped up. Suggests to me that it might be your syntax?

EDIT:
Whilst testing I found the same as you if you are not CD'd into the desktop. What I didn't notice straight away is that the folders were actually being produced but at the top level of the users folder. Don't know why though.

So, the cd desktop command followed by the mkdir test command gave me a new folder on the desktop.

But typing mkdir /Users/JohnDoe/Desktop test gave me a folder at the top level of my users folder.

2nd EDIT, try the following;

cd desktop && mkdir test or in your case cd desktop && mkdir -p lizz01