du (disk usage by directory) in Linux CLI - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the du command do in Linux?

The du command shows the disk space used by files and directories. It helps you see how much space each folder or file takes.

beginner

How do you display the disk usage of a directory in a human-readable format?

Use du -h directory_name. The -h option shows sizes in KB, MB, or GB, making it easier to understand.

intermediate

What does the du -s option do?

The -s option summarizes the total disk usage of the directory without listing each subdirectory separately.

intermediate

How can you find the top 5 largest directories using du?

Run du -h --max-depth=1 | sort -hr | head -5. This lists directories with sizes, sorts them from largest to smallest, and shows the top 5.

beginner

Why might you use du instead of df?

du shows disk usage by directories and files, helping find space hogs. df shows free space on disks overall. Use du to find what uses space inside a disk.

Which du option shows sizes in KB, MB, or GB?

A -a

B -s

C -h

D -c

The -h option makes sizes human-readable by using KB, MB, or GB units.

What does du -s /home/user do?

A Shows free disk space on /home/user

B Lists all files in /home/user

C Shows disk usage of each file in /home/user

D Shows total disk usage of /home/user only

-s summarizes total disk usage of the directory without details.

How do you limit du to show only the first level of subdirectories?

A --max-depth=1

B -h

C -a

D -s

--max-depth=1 limits output to the directory and its immediate subdirectories.

Which command helps find the largest directories quickly?

A du -s

B du -h --max-depth=1 | sort -hr | head -5

C df -h

D ls -lh

This command lists sizes, sorts them largest first, and shows top 5 directories.

What is the main difference between du and df?

A <code>du</code> shows usage by directory; <code>df</code> shows disk free space

B <code>du</code> shows free space; <code>df</code> shows usage by directory

C Both show the same information

D Neither shows disk usage

du helps find space used inside directories; df shows overall disk free space.

Explain how to use du to find which directories use the most disk space in your home folder.

Think about showing sizes, limiting depth, sorting, and picking top results.

Describe the difference between du and df and when you would use each.

One looks inside folders, the other looks at the whole disk.