The Linux du Command: Finding Directory Sizes
The Linux du Command: Finding Directory Sizes
When disk space is tight, you need to find what's eating it. du shows directory space usage - here's how to use it effectively.
Basic Usage
Current directory
duShows all subdirectories with sizes.
Human readable sizes
du -hShows KB, MB, GB.
Total only
du -sh .Total size of current directory.
Practical Examples
Largest subdirectories
du -h | sort -h | tail -10Sort and show top 10.
Specific directory
du -sh /var/logTotal for /var/log.
All levels
du -h --max-depth=1One level deep only.
Exclude patterns
du -h --exclude='*.log'Ignore log files.
Quick Reference
| Flag | What It Does |
|---|---|
-h |
Human readable |
-s |
Total only |
-a |
All files |
-d N |
Max depth |
--exclude |
Skip pattern |