The du command in Linux explained
The du command shows how much space files and folders use. It is one of the most useful commands for anyone using a live USB drive or a fresh Linux install.
Syntax
du [options] folder
Examples
du -sh ~/Downloads: total size of a folderdu -h --max-depth=1 ~: size of each folder in your home folder
Tip
Pipe the output into sort -h to find the largest folders.
Keep learning
New to the terminal? Start with Linux terminal basics. You can try every command safely from a live session: see how to try Linux without installing it. Run man du in a terminal for the full manual.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see every option for du?
Run man du for the full manual, or try du --help for a short summary.
Do I need sudo to run du?
Not for your own files. You only need sudo when the command changes something owned by the system or another user.
Is it safe to practise du on a live USB drive?
Mostly yes, because a live session starts fresh each time. Be careful with commands that write to your internal disk, such as rm on a mounted drive or dd.