Tutorial: Finding the Top 10 Biggest Files on an Ubuntu Server

In this tutorial, we'll learn how to identify the top 10 largest files on an Ubuntu server using basic command-line tools. This can help you manage disk space and ensure your server runs efficiently.

Prerequisites

• Access to an Ubuntu server.

• Basic familiarity with using the command line.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Terminal

First, you'll need to open a terminal on your Ubuntu server. If you're accessing a remote server, you might use SSH to connect.

Step 2: Navigate to the Desired Directory

Navigate to the directory where you want to search for large files. If you want to search the entire file system, you can skip this step.

cd /path/to/directory

Replace /path/to/directory with the path to the directory you want to search.

Step 3: Use the find Command to Identify Large Files

Use the following command to find the top 10 largest files:

sudo find /path/to/directory -type f -exec du -h {} + | sort -rh | head -n 10

Explanation of the Command:

• sudo: Runs the command with superuser privileges, which might be necessary for accessing certain files or directories.

• find /path/to/directory -type f: Searches for files (-type f) in the specified directory and its subdirectories. Replace /path/to/directory with the target directory, or use / to search the entire file system.

• -exec du -h {} +: Executes the du (disk usage) command for each file found, with -h providing human-readable sizes (e.g., MB, GB).

• sort -rh: Sorts the files in reverse order by size, with the largest files listed first.

• head -n 10: Displays the top 10 files from the sorted list.

Step 4: Review the Results

After executing the command, you'll see a list of the top 10 largest files, along with their sizes. For example:

1.2G    /var/log/largefile.log
900M    /home/user/bigdata.dat
850M    /opt/application/hugefile.bin
...

Alternative Method: Using du Command Directly

If you're interested in both files and directories, you can use the du command:

sudo du -ah /path/to/directory | sort -rh | head -n 10

This command lists the largest files and directories in the specified path.

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you should be able to efficiently identify the largest files on your Ubuntu server. This information can help you manage disk space and make informed decisions about file storage and deletion.

For further optimization, consider creating a script that automates this process and sends reports to your email or logs the output for regular monitoring.