Find Large Files on Linux

Find large files on Linux spikes whenever disks hit 100% — databases stop, apt fails, and logs stop rotating. Start with df -h, then drill into the full mount with du and find.

df Then du

Identify the full filesystem, then measure directories on that mount.

bashstart

df -h
sudo du -xh --max-depth=1 /var 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -15

du Drill-Down

Walk into the largest subdirectory until you hit a file or dataset.

find by Size

Locate individual huge files anywhere under a path.

bashbig files

sudo find /var -xdev -type f -size +500M -printf '%s %p
' 2>/dev/null | sort -n | tail -10

Docker and Containers

Images and volumes often live under /var/lib/docker.

bashdocker

docker system df

Logs and journald

Unbounded journals and app logs are common culprits.

bashjournal

sudo journalctl --disk-usage

Delete Safely

Double-check path; ensure files are not held open after delete.

WarningNever rm -rf a path you have not typed twice from pwd and ls.

Verify Freed Space

df -h again; set alerts before the next crisis.

Quick Reference

du -xh --max-depth=1 PATH | sort -h
find ... -size +500M for huge files
Check Docker + journal before deleting data

Find Large Files on Linux: du, find and Free Disk Space Fast