Using 'find' to Locate Large Files in Linux.

When managing storage on a Linux system, it's crucial to identify large files that may be taking up valuable disk space. The find command is a versatile tool that lets you search for files based on various criteria, including size. In this post, we'll explore how to use find to locate files larger than a specified size and how depth control can enhance your searches.

Finding Large Files Recursively

To find all files larger than 20MB in the current directory and its subdirectories, use the following command:

$ find . -type f -size +20M

Breakdown & Explanation:

• . → Start the search from the current directory.
  To search the entire system, replace . with / (use sudo to elevate privileges if necessary)
• -type f → Search for files (not directories).
• -size +20M → Find files larger than 20MB.

This command runs recursively by default, meaning it will search through all subdirectories.

Limiting Search Depth with -maxdepth

Sometimes, you may want to limit the search to avoid deep directory traversal. The -maxdepth option controls how deep find will look.

Example: Searching Only in the Current Directory

$ find . maxdepth 1 -type f -size +20M

Breakdown & Explanation:

• -maxdepth 1 → Restricts the search to the current directory only (does not check subdirectories).
• Useful when you only need to analyze top-level files.

Example: Searching Two Levels Deep

$ find . maxdepth 2 -type f -size +20M

Breakdown & Explanation:

• -maxdepth 2 → Limits the search to two levels deep (i.e., the current directory and its immediate subdirectories).
• Helps narrow results while still checking some nested folders.
  

BONUS ‼️:
Sorting Large Files by Size

To list large files sorted by size, you can combine find with du and sort:

$ find . -type f -size +20M -exec du -h {} + | sort -hr

This will display the largest files first, making it easier to identify space hogs.

Breakdown & Explanation:

• find . → Search in the current directory (.) and all subdirectories (recursively).
• -type f → Look for files only (not directories).
• -size +20M → Find files larger than 40MB.
• -exec → Execute a command on the found files.
• du -h {} → Run du (disk usage) in human-readable format (-h) on each file ({} represents each file found).
• + → Runs du efficiently by grouping multiple files in a single command execution (faster than \; which runs du separately for each file).
• | → Pipe output from du to sort.
• sort -hr → Sort output numerically by size, in descending order:
• -h → Human-readable sort (e.g., 1G, 500M, 20K).
• -r → Reverse order (largest files appear first).

The find command is an indispensable tool for identifying large files in Linux. By default, it searches recursively, but with the -maxdepth option, you can limit the depth of your search to refine results. Mastering these options can help you manage disk space efficiently.

We hope you found these insights useful!