Managing Disk Space   «Prev  Next»

Managing disk space

This module describes how to manage disk space. First you will learn about the du command, which has several options for displaying the size of files and directories. This module also explains how to save disk space by using file compression. You will learn the compress, uncompress, and zcat commands. Finally, you will learn to work with archives in various ways by using the tar command.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
  1. Use du to display your disk usage
  2. Use compress and uncompress to manage file sizes
  3. Use zcat to view compressed files
  4. Describe an archive
  5. Use tar cvf to create an archive
  6. Use tar tf to list the file names in an archive
  7. Use tar xvf to extract files from an archive

What is the best way to manage space on a Unix System

What is the best way to manage space on a Unix System?
Managing space on a Unix system effectively involves a combination of proactive monitoring, efficient usage, and regular housekeeping. Here are some best practices:
  1. Monitor Disk Usage
    • `df` Command: Use df -h to check disk usage by file systems in a human-readable format.
    • `du` Command: Use du -sh /path/to/directory to analyze the disk usage of specific directories.
    • Disk Usage Analyzers: Tools like ncdu or baobab provide a visual or interactive way to analyze disk usage.
  2. Identify and Remove Unused Files
    • Find Large Files: 
      find / -type f -size +1G -exec ls -lh {} \;
      This lists files larger than 1 GB.
    • Log Files:
      • Rotate and archive logs using tools like logrotate.
      • Compress old logs with gzip or bzip2.
    • Temporary Files:
      • Clean /tmp and /var/tmp regularly.
      • Use tmpwatch or systemd-tmpfiles to automate cleaning temporary directories.
  3. Manage Installed Packages
    • Remove Unused Packages: Use package managers (apt, yum, dnf, etc.) to uninstall unnecessary software. 
      sudo apt autoremove
    • Clean Cache:
      • For APT: sudo apt clean
      • For YUM/DNF: sudo yum clean all
  4. Automate Maintenance
    • Schedule regular checks with cron jobs.
    • Use scripts to monitor and clean up disk space, sending email notifications for low disk warnings.
  5. Compress Files and Directories
    • Use tar with compression (gzip or xz) for directories: 
      tar -czvf archive.tar.gz /path/to/directory
    • Compress individual files: 
      gzip filename
  6. Optimize File Systems
    • Enable quotas to limit user or group disk usage.
    • Use filesystem-specific tools (e.g., xfs_growfs, e2fsck) to manage and optimize the filesystem.
  7. Separate Critical Partitions
    • Use separate partitions for /var, /home, /tmp, and logs to isolate potential space hogs.
  8. Archive and Backup
    • Move rarely used data to external storage or archive.
    • Use tools like rsync or cloud solutions to maintain off-site backups.
  9. Regular Monitoring
    • Use system monitoring tools like nagios, zabbix, or prometheus for real-time space tracking and alerts.
  10. Advanced Techniques
    • LVM (Logical Volume Management): Allows dynamic resizing of disk space.
    • ZFS/Btrfs: Use advanced file systems that offer built-in compression, deduplication, and snapshot features.

By adopting these strategies, you can maintain a well-organized and efficient Unix system, minimizing space-related issues.
In the next lesson, you will learn to display your disk usage with the du command.

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