--- /dev/null
+mkdir_p_print_top() {
+    _TO_SHORTEN=$(mkdir -pv "$1" | sed "s/mkdir: created directory '//g" | head -1)
+    if [ -z "${_TO_SHORTEN}" ]; then
+        echo ''
+    else
+        _LENGTH=$(echo -n "${_TO_SHORTEN}" | wc -c)"
+        _TARGET_LENGTH=$(calc "${_LENGTH} - 1" | cut -f2)
+        echo "${_TO_SHORTEN}" | cut -c "-${_TARGET_LENGTH}"
+    fi
+}
 
 . lib/copy_dirtree
 . lib/constants_user  # PATH_USER_HOME, USERNAME
 . lib/ensure_homefiles_of_tags
+. lib/mkdir_p_print_top
 
 setup_users() {
     _MIN_TAGS="$1"
     usermod -a -G sudo "${USERNAME}"
     ensure_homefiles_of_tags ${_MIN_TAGS} ${_TAGS_USER}
     copy_dirtree "${_PATH_CONF_HOME}" "${PATH_USER_HOME}" ${_MIN_TAGS} ${_TAGS_USER}
-    _TO_CHOWN=$(mkdir -pv "${_PATH_USER_BIN}" | sed 's/mkdir: created directory //g' | head -1)
+    _TO_CHOWN=$(mkdir_p_print_top "${_PATH_USER_BIN}")
     cd "${_PATH_USER_BIN}"
     ln -s ../../.plomlib lib
     chown_to_user "${_TO_CHOWN}"
 
 . lib/ensure_homefiles_of_tags
 . lib/ensure_packages_of_tags
 . lib/expect_n_args
+. lib/mkdir_p_print_top
 
 check_finished_marker 'setup_server'
 expect_n_args 1 1 'IRC_PASSWORD' $@
 ensure_homefiles_of_tags catgirl
 
 echo "\nSetting up ${PATH_USER_SHARE_CATGIRL} so logs can go there."
-TO_CHOWN=$(mkdir -pv "${PATH_USER_SHARE_CATGIRL}" | sed 's/mkdir: created directory //g' | head -1)
+TO_CHOWN=$(mkdir_p_print_top "${PATH_USER_SHARE_CATGIRL}")
 chown_to_user "${TO_CHOWN}"
 
 echo "\nWriting provided password into ${PATH_USER_CONF_CATGIRL}."
 
--- /dev/null
+../../../bookworm/scripts/lib/mkdir_p_print_top
\ No newline at end of file
 
 . lib/constants_repopaths  # PATH_CONF
 . lib/constants_user  # USERNAME
 . lib/determine_ip
+. lib/ensure_etc_of_tags
 . lib/expect_min_n_args
 . lib/init_packages
 . lib/put_finished_marker