$TMPDIR in OSX

cd $TMPDIR


TMPDIR as defined in OSX is only accessible by yourself which reduces the risk of somebody else accessing your temp files created by programs using mktemp() to create temporary files.

...

/tmp is cleared out regularly on OSX (see /etc/defaults/periodic.conf), /var/tmp very rarely (if at all).


from http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/22694/private-tmp-vs-private-var-tmp-vs-tmpdir