Best Linux Du Command With Examples

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 to the below Linux du command with examples:

To check the installed Linux du command package version we can use the 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 uses 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 the 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 the du command with argument -a to check disk usage of all contents of a directory. Refer to 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 understood easily. so to check the disk usage of files and directories in Human Readable format (KB, MB, GB..etc..) use the 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 arguments with Human Readable Format.

To check the size of all content of a directory in Human Readable format we can use the 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 the total size of a directory in Human Readable Format refer to 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 a maximum number of files and directories which is not viewable on a single page of the terminal then you can use less command by using a filter with du command. Refer to 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

du command with argument -c will print the grand total size of the 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 the du command with argument -b. Refer to 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 the 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 the 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 the du command with argument -BM to check the 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 excluding 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 the 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 the size of the .iso file and want to exclude the .zip file then refer to 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 to du command.

[root@localhost ~]# man du  # For more du command Related Informations

Also Read – Best chattr command to change File Attributes – Making Important Files Immutable

That’s all, In this article, we have explained Best Linux Du Command With Examples. I hope you enjoy this article. If you like this article, then just share it. If you have any questions about this article, please comment.