ncdu

interactive disk usage analyzer with an ncurses interface

TLDR

Analyze disk usage of current directory

$ ncdu

Analyze specific directory

$ ncdu [/path/to/directory]

Analyze and exclude pattern

$ ncdu --exclude [*.log]

Scan in quiet mode (for slow disks)

$ ncdu -q [/path/to/directory]

Export scan results to file

$ ncdu -o [scan.json] [/path/to/directory]

Load scan results from file

$ ncdu -f [scan.json]

Enable file deletion

$ ncdu [/path] && ncdu

Scan as root (for full filesystem)

$ sudo ncdu /

ncdu (NCurses Disk Usage) is an interactive disk usage analyzer with an ncurses interface. It scans a directory tree, then presents the results sorted by size, allowing navigation through directories to find space-consuming files.The interface shows directory contents sorted by size with graphical bars indicating relative sizes. Users can navigate using arrow keys, enter directories, and optionally delete files or directories directly.ncdu is particularly useful for identifying large files on servers, cleaning up disk space, and understanding storage usage patterns.

PARAMETERS

-q

Quiet mode, no scanning progress.

-x

Stay on one filesystem.

--exclude pattern

Exclude files matching pattern.

-X file, --exclude-from file

Read exclude patterns from file.

-o file

Export scan results to JSON file.

-f file

Load scan results from file.

-e

Enable shell extension (for exports).

-r

Read-only mode (disable deletion).

--si

Use base 10 (SI) units.

--color scheme

Color scheme (dark, off).

KEYBOARD CONTROLS

Up/Down: NavigateEnter: Enter directoryd: Delete selected itemn: Sort by names: Sort by sizeC: Sort by countg: Show percentage/graphi: Show item infor: Refresh/recalculateq: Quit

INSTALL

sudo apt install ncdu

sudo dnf install ncdu

sudo pacman -S ncdu

sudo apk add ncdu

sudo zypper install ncdu

brew install ncdu

nix profile install nixpkgs#ncdu

CAVEATS

Deletion is permanent and bypasses trash. Scanning large filesystems takes time. File counts may differ from other tools due to hard links. Running without root may skip inaccessible directories.

HISTORY

ncdu was created by Yoran Heling in 2007 as an ncurses-based alternative to du for interactive disk usage analysis. It was designed to address the difficulty of identifying large files using traditional tools. ncdu became a staple system administration tool, and version 2.0 (rewritten in Zig) was released in 2022.