Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Have a mere 120gb SSD with 77.8gb free after all my stuff is loaded. Was closer to 80gb, but then something happened. What can I get rid of to get back to 80gb unused? Linux Mint 18 [beta] here. KDE desktop, simple end-user.
Without precisely analyzing the contents of the drive, that question cannot be answered.
(Also, what is the source of those 77GB and 80GB figures?)
Several tools can help you do this:
Code:
ls -a <-----list all files
du <-----disk usage
df <-----disk free
Note that output of those commands may not perfectly align in the amount of space that they show as used or free. This is perfectly normal.
Also, du and df have numerous arguments that can be used to make them easier to read. Here's a pretty good summary: http://www.codecoffee.com/tipsforlinux/articles/22.html You can see their respective man pages for more.
I would recommend using a graphical filesystem usage program such as Filelight (should be in your repo) to determine what exactly is taking up the space on your system.
I would also suggest using the file cleaner application Bleachbit (https://www.bleachbit.org/), but you have to be careful using that as a simple end-user, and you should back up your system before you use it the first time. If you do give it a go, I can let you know which settings I use (I used it for Linux Mint 17.2/3 KDE and am using it for Linux Mint 18 MATE with no problems).
A simple sudo apt-get clean might free up some space by clearing out the local cache of retrieved package files.
I just went crazy cleaning up a couple of days back
only go crazy cleaning /home and don't delete .directories and .files that you didn't create.
Deleting other stuff that you belive you don't need is just going to break your operating system or applications. Music and Video can take a lot of space so it may help to look there first.
Last edited by rhubarbdog; 08-31-2016 at 03:18 PM.
Linux Mint 18 [beta] here. KDE desktop, simple end-user.
Alt+F2 and enter
Code:
gksudo baobab /
for visual representation.
However, not understanding the Linux hierarchy can lead to crying penguins all over the world. http://rlworkman.net/howtos/rute/ - Thanks Robby for hosting that!
You have over 77gb free, and your drive is less than 1/4 full. There is no problem, nothing is wrong, and there is no need to take any action. It is totally normal for a Linux filesystem to expand slightly over time as you install software, download updates, write to log files, configure settings, etc. A system with 80gb free will not be any faster, stable, or user friendly than a system with 77.8gb free. Storage is incredibly inexpensive in the year 2016, so my advice is to just keep using your system without worry until it starts to get full, then invest in more storage.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.