Name what you already understand before the build gets bigger.
Storage repair
Linux Disk Space and Logs for Makers
Learn how bytes, inodes, logs, and deleted-open files can each make a project machine look full.
Topic goal to ladder route
Know the destination, then climb the route.
A topic is the maker goal. A ladder is the route from what you understand now to one visible proof you can build, sketch, test, or explain. This one ties back to Deploy a Static Site on a VPS.
Identify whether a disk-full problem is bytes, inodes, journal logs, Docker, or deleted-open files.
Read the short lesson, watch one source tutorial, sketch the idea, check the math, then practice.
Write a five-command disk-full triage checklist and explain what each command proves.
Ladder steps
Each step should prove one idea before the project asks for the next one.
Check bytesByte pressure means the filesystem has little storage space left. df -h shows Use% and available space.
Check inodesInode pressure means too many files exist even if bytes look available. df -i shows IUse%.
Check logs and journalsLogs can grow until they dominate a filesystem. journalctl --disk-usage gives the journal size.
Check deleted-open filesA deleted file can still consume space until the process closes it. lsof +L1 lists open deleted files.
Examples to inspect
Use examples to read signals, not as blind recipes.
Check filesystem byte usage
Project signal
df -h
Expected signal: Use% and Available columns
Check inode usage
Project signal
df -i
Expected signal: IUse% column
Find deleted-open files
Project signal
sudo lsof +L1
Expected signal: Open files with link count below one
Caution: May expose process paths; inspect before sharing output.
Common traps
- Deleting random files before proving the owner.
- Ignoring inode pressure.
- Deleting journal directories manually.
Practice task
Write a five-command disk-full triage checklist and explain what each command proves.
Next steps
- Use the LinuxOneLiners disk-full hub.
- Learn log search.
- Learn Docker disk usage.
Practice path
- Near-Copy Rebuild: Recreate one example, decision path, or worked explanation from Linux Disk Space and Logs for Makers. Keep most givens the same, then apply, explain, and check while naming each cue you used. Use the lesson's example block when it helps.
- One-Change Transfer: Change exactly one condition, number, input, symptom, material, or constraint from the near-copy case. Then apply, explain, and check again and explain what changed.
- Mixed Review Set: Interleave this topic with one prerequisite or adjacent idea. Write three short prompts: one recall, one application, and one comparison.
- Find And Fix The Error: Invent a plausible wrong answer, unsafe step, invalid assumption, or bad classification. Mark the first point where it goes wrong, then correct it using the lesson's check.
Flashcard preview
How can df -h look fine while a filesystem is still unusable?
The filesystem can be out of inodes; check df -i.
What does the 'Check bytes' step prove?
Byte pressure means the filesystem has little storage space left. Check: df -h shows Use% and available space.
What does the 'Check inodes' step prove?
Inode pressure means too many files exist even if bytes look available. Check: df -i shows IUse%.
What does the 'Check logs and journals' step prove?
Logs can grow until they dominate a filesystem. Check: journalctl --disk-usage gives the journal size.
What does the 'Check deleted-open files' step prove?
A deleted file can still consume space until the process closes it. Check: lsof +L1 lists open deleted files.
When would you use `df -h`?
Use it to check filesystem byte usage. Expected signal: Use% and Available columns
Downloadable study pack
Export the same lesson as a plain Markdown note or Anki-compatible TSV. Commands and code blocks stay plain so they work in local notes.
Related paths
Study pack check passed. Notes, cards, examples, and practice tasks are meant to keep the lesson useful outside the page.
Connected routes
Use these links like a project map: what helps before this, what this unlocks, and where it fits.
Helpful before this
Project context
What this unlocks
- Use the LinuxOneLiners disk-full hub.
- Learn log search.
- Learn Docker disk usage.
Related pages
Text lesson and video notes
This page works as a text lesson first. If you later watch a matching tutorial, use the notes pattern here to capture the build decision, timestamps, warnings, and the next practical task instead of saving a raw link.
Read the text lesson
Use the steps, examples, traps, and practice task on this page to understand the next move in a maker project.
Attach a video note
Save useful workshop or tutorial videos into an Obsidian note with timestamps, source links, and what each segment proves. The site does not need the video to be useful.
Review and practice
Download the cards, then finish the practice task before adding more links to your project notebook.
Source video for this ladder
Use the video as source material for notes, cards, and practice. The written ladder still works without playback.
Use the source as a companion, not as a replacement for the written ladder.
Featured tutorial
Primary source
Linux File Permissions in 5 Minutes
Video by Travis Media ยท Open on YouTube
A compact visual explanation of ownership and permission bits that supports deployment, file repair, and project servers.
Source note saves on this device.
Suggest a better source video
If another tutorial explains this topic more clearly, send the title and YouTube URL. Suggestions should help the ladder, not replace it.
Topic: Linux Disk Space and Logs for Makers
Continue learning this topic
Use this page as part of a project path, not as a one-off article. Save the note, review the cards, try the practice task, then choose the next lesson based on what your project exposes.
Study assets
Project context
- Deploy a Static Site on a VPS
- Browse Software and Linux
- Next ladder clue: Use the LinuxOneLiners disk-full hub.
Related references
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