OS Manuals

/usr/bin/du

GNU core utilities

From coreutils 9.12-r7 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running du --help (exit 0). permalink

Also provided by 1 other package version
Usage: /usr/bin/du [OPTION]... [FILE]...
  or:  /usr/bin/du [OPTION]... --files0-from=F
Summarize device usage of the set of FILEs, recursively for directories.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
  -0, --null
         end each output line with NUL, not newline
  -a, --all
         write counts for all files, not just directories
  -A, --apparent-size
         print apparent sizes rather than device usage;
         although the apparent size is usually smaller, it may be
         larger due to holes in ('sparse') files,
         internal fragmentation, indirect blocks, etc.
  -B, --block-size=SIZE
         scale sizes by SIZE before printing them; See SIZE format below;
         E.g., '-BM' prints sizes in units of 1,048,576 bytes
  -b, --bytes
         equivalent to '--apparent-size --block-size=1'
  -c, --total
         produce a grand total
  -D, --dereference-args
         dereference only symlinks that are listed on the command line
  -d, --max-depth=N
         print the total for a directory (or file, with --all)
         only if it is N or fewer levels below the command
         line argument;  --max-depth=0 is the same as --summarize
      --files0-from=F
         summarize device usage of the NUL-terminated file names
         specified in file F;  if F is -, read names from standard input
  -H
         equivalent to --dereference-args (-D)
  -h, --human-readable
         print sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 234M 2G)
      --inodes
         list inode usage information instead of block usage
  -k
         like --block-size=1K
  -L, --dereference
         dereference all symbolic links
  -l, --count-links
         count sizes many times if hard linked
  -m
         like --block-size=1M
  -P, --no-dereference
         don't follow any symbolic links (this is the default)
  -S, --separate-dirs
         for directories do not include size of subdirectories
      --si
         like -h, but use powers of 1000 not 1024
  -s, --summarize
         display only a total for each argument
  -t, --threshold=SIZE
         exclude entries smaller than SIZE if positive,
         or entries greater than SIZE if negative
      --time
         show time of the last modification of any file in the directory,
         or any of its subdirectories
      --time=WORD
         show time as WORD instead of modification time:
         atime, access, use, ctime or status
      --time-style=STYLE
         time/date format with --time; see TIME_STYLE below
  -X, --exclude-from=FILE
         exclude files that match any pattern in FILE
      --exclude=PATTERN
         exclude files that match PATTERN
  -x, --one-file-system
         skip directories on different file systems
      --help
         display this help and exit
      --version
         output version information and exit

Display values are in units of the first available SIZE from --block-size,
and the DU_BLOCK_SIZE, BLOCK_SIZE and BLOCKSIZE environment variables.
Otherwise, units default to 1024 bytes (or 512 if POSIXLY_CORRECT is set).

The SIZE argument is an integer and optional unit (example: 10K is 10*1024).
Units are K,M,G,T,P,E,Z,Y,R,Q (powers of 1024) or KB,MB,... (powers of 1000).
Binary prefixes can be used, too: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.

The --time-style STYLE argument can be full-iso, long-iso, iso, or +FORMAT.
FORMAT is interpreted like in date(1).
Also the TIME_STYLE environment variable sets the default style to use.

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/du>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) du invocation'
Options (28)
OptionDescriptionSource
-0, --nullend each output line with NUL, not newlinehelp + man
-a, --allwrite counts for all files, not just directorieshelp + man
-A, --apparent-sizeprint apparent sizes rather than device usage;help + man
-B, --block-size SIZEscale sizes by SIZE before printing them;help + man
-b, --bytesequivalent to '--apparent-size --block-size=1'help + man
-c, --totalproduce a grand totalhelp + man
-D, --dereference-argsdereference only symlinks that are listed on the command linehelp + man
-d, --max-depth Nprint the total for a directory (or file, with --all) only if it is N or fewer levels below the command line argument;help + man
--files0-from Fsummarize device usage of the NUL-terminated file names specified in file F;help + man
-Hequivalent to --dereference-args (-D)help + man
-h, --human-readableprint sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 234M 2G)help + man
--inodeslist inode usage information instead of block usagehelp + man
-klike --block-size=1Khelp + man
-L, --dereferencedereference all symbolic linkshelp + man
-l, --count-linkscount sizes many times if hard linkedhelp + man
-mlike --block-size=1Mhelp + man
-P, --no-dereferencedon't follow any symbolic links (this is the default)help + man
-S, --separate-dirsfor directories do not include size of subdirectorieshelp + man
--silike -h, but use powers of 1000 not 1024help + man
-s, --summarizedisplay only a total for each argumenthelp + man
-t, --threshold SIZEexclude entries smaller than SIZE if positive, or entries greater than SIZE if negativehelp + man
--timeshow time of the last modification of any file in the directory, or any of its subdirectorieshelp + man
--time-style STYLEtime/date format with --time;help + man
-X, --exclude-from FILEexclude files that match any pattern in FILEhelp + man
--exclude PATTERNexclude files that match PATTERNhelp + man
-x, --one-file-systemskip directories on different file systemshelp + man
--helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
--versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.