BEST LINUX DU COMMAND WITH EXAMPLES
BEST LINUX DU COMMAND WITH EXAMPLES
Introduction
In this article we are going to learn how to use Linux du command. du command is a powerful command in Linux and Unix Operating System used to check disk usage of files or directories.
Refer the below Linux du command with examples :
To check the installed Linux du command package version we can use du command with option – -version.
[root@localhost ~]# du --version # To check Installed du Package Version
du (GNU coreutils) 5.97
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software. You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of
the GNU General Public License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, Paul Eggert, and Jim Meyering.
To check disk usage of a particular file use the below command.
[root@localhost data]# du data.zip # Check disk usage or size of a Particular file 1350084 data.zip
To check disk usage of contents of a directory you can use below command.
[root@localhost ~]# du data/* # Checking Disk Usage of contents of a Directory
1350084 data/data.zip
2727652 data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
668740 data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
OR you can use du command with argument -a to check disk usage of all contents of a directory. Refer the below sample output.
[root@localhost ~]# du -a data/ # Checking Disk Usage of all Contents of a Directory
1350084 data/data.zip
2727652 data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
668740 data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
4746480 data/
Normally du command print the size of the files and directories in Disk Blocks which is cannot be understand easily. so to check the disk usage of files and directories in Human Readable format (KB, MB, GB..etc..) use du command with argument -h.
[root@localhost data]# du -h kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso # Checking Size of the File in Human Readable Format
2.7G kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
From here I am going to explain all du related argument with Human Readable Format.
To check size of all content of a directory in Human Readable format we can use du command with argument -ah.
[root@localhost ~]# du -ah data/ # Checking all content of a Directory in Human Readable Format
1.3G data/data.zip
2.7G data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
654M data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
4.6G data/
To check total size of a directory in Human Readable Format refer the below Linux du command.
[root@localhost ~]# du -h data/ # Checking Full Size of a Directory in Human Readable Format
4.6G data/
If you trying to check disk usage of a directory which contains so many contents and contains maximum number of files and directories which is not view-able on a single page of terminal then you can use less command by using filter with du command. Refer the command below.
[root@localhost ~]# du -h /etc/ | less # Using less command with du command
8.0K /etc/pcmcia
8.0K /etc/portreserve
172K /etc/pki/java
32K /etc/pki/rpm-gpg
4.0K /etc/pki/rsyslog
4.0K /etc/pki/CA/private
4.0K /etc/pki/CA/certs
4.0K /etc/pki/CA/crl
4.0K /etc/pki/CA/newcerts
20K /etc/pki/CA
180K /etc/pki/ca-trust/extracted/java
Also Read :
- BEST LINUX GREP COMMAND EXAMPLES
- BEST LINUX ALIAS COMMAND WITH EXAMPLES
- Best chattr command to change File Attributes – Making Important Files Immutable
du command with argument -c will print the grand total size of complete content of directory or files.
[root@localhost data]# du -ch * # Checking Grand Total Size of a Directory with It's Content 1.3G data.zip 2.7G kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso 654M ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso 4.6G total
Let’s check the grand total disk usage of all content of a directory in Human Readable format using du command with argument -ach.
[root@localhost ~]# du -ach data/ # Checking Grand Total Size of All content of a Directory
1.3G data/data.zip
2.7G data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
654M data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
4.6G data/
4.6G total
To check the disk usage in bytes we can use du command with argument -b. Refer the sample output below.
[root@localhost ~]# du -b data/* # Checking Size in Bytes
1382479012 data/data.zip
2794307584 data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
686817280 data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
du command with argument -k will print the size of files and directories in Kilobyte (KB).
[root@localhost ~]# du -k data/* # Checking Size in KB
1350084 data/data.zip
2727652 data/kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
668740 data/ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
OR you can use du command with argument -BK to check the disk usage in KB.
[root@localhost data]# du -BK * # Checking Size in KB
1350084K data.zip
2727652K kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
668740K ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
To check disk usage of files and directories in MB you can use du command with argument -m.
[root@localhost data]# du -m * # Checking Size in MB
1319 data.zip
2664 kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
654 ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
OR you can use du command with argument -BM to check size of files and directories in MB.
[root@localhost data]# du -BM * # Checking Size in MB
1319M data.zip
2664M kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
654M ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
Like that to check disk usage in GigaByte you can use the argument -BG.
du command with argument – -time will print the Last modification Date & Time of files and directories.
[root@localhost ~]# du --time data/* # Checking Last Modified date and time using du Command
4 2017-05-09 01:26 data/file1.txt
4 2017-05-09 01:26 data/file2.txt
4 2017-05-09 01:26 data/file3.txt
4 2017-05-09 01:26 data/file4.txt
4 2017-05-09 01:26 data/file5.txt
Suppose you have so many files or directories and you want to check disk usage by exclude some files which you don’t want to check then you can do the same by du command with argument – -exclude. For example Here I have a directory with some .iso and .zip files. Now I want to check size of only .zip files and want to exclude .iso files then to do so we can use the below command.
[root@localhost data]# ls
data.zip kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso mydoc.zip ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
[root@localhost data]# du -ah --exclude="*.iso" # Checking Disk Usage by excluding .iso Files
1.3G ./mydoc.zip
1.3G ./data.zip
2.6G .
OR if you want to check size of .iso file and want to exclude .zip file then refer the below command.
[root@localhost data]# du -ah --exclude="*.zip" # Checking Disk Usage by excluding .zip Files
2.7G ./kali-linux-2017.1-amd64.iso
654M ./ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso
3.3G .
For du command related options you can use the below command.
[root@localhost ~]# du --help # For more du command related options
Usage: du [OPTION]... [FILE]...
or: du [OPTION]... --files0-from=F
Summarize disk usage of each FILE, recursively for directories.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
-a, --all write counts for all files, not just directories
--apparent-size print apparent sizes, rather than disk usage; although
the apparent size is usually smaller, it may be
larger due to holes in (`sparse') files, internal
fragmentation, indirect blocks, and the like
-B, --block-size=SIZE use SIZE-byte blocks
-b, --bytes equivalent to `--apparent-size --block-size=1'
-c, --total produce a grand total
-D, --dereference-args dereference FILEs that are symbolic links
--files0-from=F summarize disk usage of the NUL-terminated file
names specified in file F
-H like --si, but also evokes a warning; will soon
change to be equivalent to --dereference-args (-D)
-h, --human-readable print sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 234M 2G)
--si like -h, but use powers of 1000 not 1024
-k like --block-size=1K
-l, --count-links count sizes many times if hard linked
-m like --block-size=1M
-L, --dereference dereference all symbolic links
-P, --no-dereference don't follow any symbolic links (this is the default)
-0, --null end each output line with 0 byte rather than newline
-S, --separate-dirs do not include size of subdirectories
-s, --summarize display only a total for each argument
-x, --one-file-system skip directories on different file systems
-X FILE, --exclude-from=FILE Exclude files that match any pattern in FILE.
--exclude=PATTERN Exclude files that match PATTERN.
--max-depth=N print the total for a directory (or file, with --all)
only if it is N or fewer levels below the command
line argument; --max-depth=0 is the same as
--summarize
--time show time of the last modification of any file in the
directory, or any of its subdirectories
--time=WORD show time as WORD instead of modification time:
atime, access, use, ctime or status
--time-style=STYLE show times using style STYLE:
full-iso, long-iso, iso, +FORMAT
FORMAT is interpreted like `date'
--help display this help and exit
--version output version information and exit
SIZE may be (or may be an integer optionally followed by) one of following:
kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, and so on for G, T, P, E, Z, Y.
Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
OR refer below command for more deep information related du command.
[root@localhost ~]# man du # For more du command Related Informations
We tried to include as much Linux du command with Examples. If something missed out then please comment on comment box below so that we can include in the article.
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