How to list recursive file sizes of files and directories in a directory?

files file-size

203,165

Solution 1

I guess the easiest way is by typing ls -l, or ls -lh which will provide the file size in human-readable format (KB, MB, etc).

If 'recursively' means listing all the subsequent folders, e.g.:

/foo/
/foo/bar/ ....

Then you should also add parameter R, like ls -lR or ls -lhR

More information for ls can be found by typing man ls

Update:

The following command as Lekensteyn proposed will probably do the job:

du -h --max-depth=1 <folder>

-h is for human-readable
--apparent-size is another way to display sizes as already stated
--max-depth is the level of subfolders you want to go down to.

Solution 2

apt-get install ncdu

enter image description here

It is interactive too so if you want to check on a sub folder just UP, DOWN, and Enter to it.

Solution 3

To get the total size of a directory and all children

du -hs directory/*

Solution 4

Also check out tree. It is not installed by default but is the repositories.

Example:

richard@legend:~$ tree Applications/ -s
Applications/
├── [           4096]  AlexFTPS-1.0.2
│   ├── [      31232]  AlexPilotti.FTPS.Client.dll
│   ├── [     274432]  C5.dll
│   ├── [       1457]  C5-License
│   ├── [      35147]  COPYING
│   ├── [       7639]  COPYING.LESSER
│   ├── [         70]  ftps
│   ├── [      28672]  ftps.exe
│   ├── [      98304]  Plossum CommandLine.dll
│   ├── [       1557]  Plossum-License
│   └── [       2560]  README
└── [           4096]  src
    └── [     180849]  AlexFTPS_bin_1.0.2.zip

More options can be found in the man page.

Solution 5

Since you don't specifically mention you need a terminal-based solution, I think baobab a.k.a. Disk Usage Analyzer is missing from the list.

It is installed in Ubuntu by default and does exactly what you want in a nice graphical UI with the ability to drill down the directory hierarchy.

Apart from displaying a list of directories with their sizes, it is also showing a rings or treemap chart of filesystem usage, which is extremely useful for visualising the directories which take up the most space.

View more solutions

203,165

ndg

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

ndg almost 2 years

How do I list all the files in a directory and their recursive file sizes?

---edit

I want to see the sizes 'rolled up' to the parent directories in the directory listed. I don't want to see the child directories or their contents or sizes.
- Pavlos G. almost 13 years
  
  You mean that you want to see the total size (sum) of all the files in a folder, like right-clicking on a folder on your desktop and selecting 'properties' ?
- Lekensteyn almost 13 years
  
  Are you looking for software which helps you to find big files, or something to get a (collapsable) file tree?
- ndg almost 13 years
  
  Hi @Pavlos G - I mean the sum for each of the directories in the directory I'm currently in - not the sum for the overall directory.
- Pavlos G. almost 13 years
  
  @J G - Check my update ;-)
ndg almost 13 years

Should sizes be shown?
Richard Holloway almost 13 years

J G: The -s shows the sizes.
ndg almost 13 years

I'd like the next level down from that - the recursive sizes of all the first level children.
Richard Holloway almost 13 years

I'll edit my answer. You need to use du -h directory/*
Steven Lu almost 11 years

Shows the size of the directory record rather than full directory size.
nikoskip over 9 years

@hawkeye for 1st level you can use --max-depth=1
Lekensteyn over 9 years

@nikoskip nice tip! Also nice to know is the shorthand, --max-depth=1 can be shortened to -d1.
muru almost 9 years

This doesn't show the size of the directory.
Whimsical about 8 years

given answer didnt give me details for simlinks(ls -lhR), the numbers listed next to it didnt correspond to the right size of each of the values either. My answer gave me a hierarchy with a defined tree structure and the correct answer....OR are you referring to some other upvoted answer?
Fabby about 8 years

Down-vote retracted, upvoted. Please edit and put the comment in the answer... Thanks for the explanation. ;-)
SomethingSomething almost 7 years

Maybe the most amazing software recommendation I have ever got
kRazzy R over 6 years

how to get all of these in a decending order of size..
kRazzy R over 6 years

how do I view the contents and empty : /dev/sda5 ext4 430G 381G 27G 94% / my laptop is less than 1 month old and it is so full which it makes no sense
dylanh724 over 6 years

What to use for max depth? -1?
dvdmn about 5 years

this should be the approved answer
Eric almost 5 years

-h show size in human readable way, e.g tree -s
qwr over 4 years

4K is not the sizes of the directories
Jacquot over 4 years

ncdu is really so underrated