How to Monitor Disk Usage in Linux

 

Introduction

Monitoring disk usage is essential for keeping a Linux system healthy. Running out of space can cause applications to crash or even prevent the system from working. Here are some simple commands to check and monitor disk usage.

Step 1: Check Disk Space with df

df -h

➡️ The -h option shows disk usage in a human-readable format (GB/MB).

Step 2: Check Directory Size with du

du -sh /path/to/directory

➡️ This shows the total size of a specific directory. Replace /path/to/directory with your target folder.

Step 3: Find Large Files

find / -type f -size +500M

➡️ This finds all files larger than 500 MB on your system.

Step 4: Use ncdu for Interactive Monitoring

sudo apt install ncdu # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo yum install ncdu # CentOS/RHEL

➡️ Run it with:

ncdu /

This gives you an interactive interface to explore disk usage.

Conclusion

By using tools like df, du, and ncdu, you can easily monitor disk usage, identify space hogs, and keep your Linux system running smoothly.