Identify big space usage items in Linux partitions

[pipemole]

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Identify big space usage items in Linux partitions
Hello:
On a system running Linux, out of 4 GB drive space, 0.15 GB is free. I want to determine what items are using large amounts of space. I want to also know what application packages such items belong to. Together these 2 pieces of info can guide informed choices in drive clean up.
I’m asking forum readers’ suggestions for utilities to help this along, or description of ways to accomplish this with Linux commands.
System is Suse Linux 8. KDE and Gnome are installed, together with “Networking” and “Developer” tools.
Thanks in advance for your attention;
- - Pipemole - - 2/22/2004;

 

[thedaver]

Other than deriving a guess from the folder names, it is impossible to know which applications own a particular file. That's windows-based thinking in my mind.

That said, a package manager will allow you to remove the files it beleived it installed with a given package. I'd start freeing up space by removing un-needed packages. I'm sure Suse has a package manager with such abilities.

Further, if you are running KDE/Gnome/XWindow, you are going to have a very sizeable collection of very sizeable files on your system to support the GUI(s). Fonts and drivers suck up amazing amounts of disk space.

You also have a swap partition somewhere on the system, which may make it appear that you've used more space than you have. Don't delete it, just allow for it in your calculations.

Finally, look for source code folders. I find that after I compile something and it settles in, I often forget to chuck the source code for it. That means I often keep the tarball and the source for a compiled app. Your package manager may build from source on certain occassions so that's an issue to consider. Keeping source and tarballs laying around is also bad security practice <slaps own hand>.



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[cdlvj]

To identify the large files, look a find. man find. One of the options is -size.

Who the files belong to will be harder. Sometimes the name of the directories will be a key, the owner of the file can help. But that all depends how the developer was organized.