Find large files on Linux: 5 Command-line Examples

Running out of disk space on your Linux system? Don’t panic! Tracking down those massive files hogging your storage is simpler than it seems. Here are five practical command-line examples to help you identify and manage large files efficiently.

1. Using du and sort Together

A quick way to find the biggest files in a directory (and its subdirectories) is by combining the du and sort commands. Try this:

du -a . | sort -n -r | head -n 10

Here’s what’s happening:

• du -a . lists the size of every file in the current directory and its subdirectories.

• sort -n -r organizes the list by size, largest first.

• head -n 10 shows only the top 10 results.

This combo is simple, effective, and doesn’t require any extra tools.

2. Find Files by Size with find

The find command is like a Swiss Army knife for file searching. To find all files larger than 100MB in the /home directory, use:

find /home -type f -size +100M

Here’s the breakdown:

• /home: The directory to search (change this to your target directory).

• -type f: Limits the search to files (not directories).

• -size +100M: Finds files larger than 100MB.

Easy, right?

3. Visualize Disk Usage with ncdu

For a user-friendly, interactive option, check out ncdu. It’s not built-in, but installing it is quick:

sudo apt-get install ncdu
ncdu /

After running ncdu /, you’ll get a navigable display of disk usage starting at the root directory (/). Use the arrow keys to explore. Pro tip: Replace / with any directory path to focus your search.

4. Sort Files by Size with ls

If you’re working in a specific directory and want a fast summary, the ls command gets the job done:

ls -lSh | head

What this does:

• -lSh: Lists files in detailed view (-l), sorts them by size (-S), and makes sizes human-readable (-h).

• head: Limits the output to the first 10 entries.

This is perfect for a quick glance at which files are taking up space.

5. Get Advanced with awk and find

Want more control over the output? Combine awk with find:

find / -type f -size +50M -exec ls -lh {} \; | awk '{ printf "%s %s\n", $5, $9 }'

Here’s the magic:

• find locates files over 50MB.

• ls -lh gives a detailed, human-readable size.

• awk formats the output, showing only the file size and name.

FAQs

1. How Do I Find Files Larger Than 100MB in Linux?

Use the find command to locate files exceeding 100MB:

find / -type f -size +100M

This starts from the root directory (/) and checks every subdirectory. To limit the search to a specific directory (like /home), replace / with the directory path:

find /home -type f -size +100M

2. How Do I Delete Large Files in Linux?

Once you’ve identified unnecessary large files, you can delete them with:

find /home -type f -size +100M -delete

Warning: Be careful! This deletes files immediately. Always double-check what’s being removed and back up critical data.

With these tools and commands, you can take charge of your disk space like a pro. Just remember to verify file importance before hitting delete—losing essential files can lead to bigger headaches than running out of storage.