Unix - How to find the largest 10 files in a filesystem

Unix - How to find the largest 10 files in a filesystem
Find the largest 10 files residing on a unix filesystem

Find the largest 10 files residing on a unix filesystem

$ find /var/log/ -ls |sort +6nr |head
19078 6048 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 3079394 Jan 14 10:10 /var/log/httpd-access.log
16568 2624 -rw------- 1 root wheel 1318816 Jan 15 11:17 /var/log/pflog
16540 2112 -rw------- 1 root wheel 1052672 Aug 15 01:12 /var/log/winbindd.core
16583 1632 -rw------- 1 root wheel 810319 Jan 15 10:47 /var/log/auth.log
16574 1024 -rw------- 1 root wheel 495616 Dec 23 2006 /var/log/bash.core
16628 288 -rw------- 1 root bin 146102 Aug 8 20:49 /var/log/webmin/miniserv.log
16536 92 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 112392 Jan 15 09:32 /var/log/lastlog
16664 156 -rw------- 1 root wheel 78836 Nov 26 09:00 /var/log/auth.log.3.bz2
16736 136 -rw------- 1 root wheel 68326 Dec 10 23:00 /var/log/auth.log.2.bz2
16677 128 -rw------- 1 root wheel 63791 Dec 15 17:00 /var/log/auth.log.1.bz2

$ find /var/log/ -ls |sort +6n |tail
16677 128 -rw------- 1 root wheel 63791 Dec 15 17:00 /var/log/auth.log.1.bz2
16736 136 -rw------- 1 root wheel 68326 Dec 10 23:00 /var/log/auth.log.2.bz2
16664 156 -rw------- 1 root wheel 78836 Nov 26 09:00 /var/log/auth.log.3.bz2
16536 92 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 112392 Jan 15 09:32 /var/log/lastlog
16628 288 -rw------- 1 root bin 146102 Aug 8 20:49 /var/log/webmin/miniserv.log
16574 1024 -rw------- 1 root wheel 495616 Dec 23 2006 /var/log/bash.core
16583 1632 -rw------- 1 root wheel 810319 Jan 15 10:47 /var/log/auth.log
16540 2112 -rw------- 1 root wheel 1052672 Aug 15 01:12 /var/log/winbindd.core
16568 2688 -rw------- 1 root wheel 1350204 Jan 15 11:18 /var/log/pflog
19078 6048 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 3079394 Jan 14 10:10 /var/log/httpd-access.log

$ man sort

-n, --numeric-sort
compare according to string numerical value
-r, --reverse
reverse the result of comparisons

find /var -ls command finds files in /var filesystem and lists them and |sort +6n |tail OR |sort +6nr |head sorts by 7th column of the find -ls command in normal or reversed order and heads/tails the first/last 10 results.

List the largest files in a directory

$ ls -al | sort +4nr |head
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 3079394 Jan 14 10:10 httpd-access.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 810319 Jan 15 10:47 auth.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 498374 Jan 15 10:54 aulog
-rw------- 1 root wheel 495616 Dec 23 2006 bash.core
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 112392 Jan 15 09:32 lastlog
-rw------- 1 root wheel 78836 Nov 26 09:00 auth.log.3.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 68326 Dec 10 23:00 auth.log.2.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 63791 Dec 15 17:00 auth.log.1.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 62495 Dec 18 20:00 auth.log.0.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 58956 Jan 28 2007 xferlog.0.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 55244 Jan 15 10:55 cron
-rw------- 1 root wheel 37201 Aug 26 18:14 xferlog
-rw------- 1 root wheel 32387 Jan 28 2007 xferlog.1.bz2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 25564 Jan 15 09:32 wtmp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 25344 Dec 1 00:07 wtmp.1

or try these parameters of the ls command:

$ man ls
-S Sort by size (largest file first) before sorting the operands in
lexicographical order.
-h When used with the -l option, use unit suffixes: Byte, Kilobyte,
Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte and Petabyte in order to reduce the
number of digits to four or fewer using base 2 for sizes.

$ ls -lSh |head
total 6760
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 2.9M Jan 14 10:10 httpd-access.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 1.2M Jan 15 11:14 aulog
-rw------- 1 root wheel 791K Jan 15 10:47 auth.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 484K Dec 23 2006 bash.core
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 110K Jan 15 09:32 lastlog
-rw------- 1 root wheel 77K Nov 26 09:00 auth.log.3.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 67K Dec 10 23:00 auth.log.2.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 62K Dec 15 17:00 auth.log.1.bz2
-rw------- 1 root wheel 61K Dec 18 20:00 auth.log.0.bz2

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