Often you may need to sort files by size in Linux. System administrators commonly use it to find out the largest files on their system and cleanup big files to free up disk space. There are many ways to sort files in Linux. We will simply use ls command along with different options to sort files in different ways.
How to Sort Files by Size in Linux
Here is how to sort files by size using ls command. Typically, we use ls command with -la option to display long listing and including that of hidden files.
$ ls -la drwxr-xr-x 10 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Sep 6 03:15 . drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jan 14 2020 .. -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 41622 Sep 6 03:15 .bash_history -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 220 Apr 4 2018 .bash_logout -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 3771 Apr 4 2018 .bashrc drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 7 2020 .cache drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Aug 12 2020 .dropbox-dist -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 74 Jan 14 2020 .gitconfig drwx------ 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .gnupg -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 28 Aug 12 06:35 .lesshst drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .local -rw------- 1 root root 10607 Aug 28 09:23 .mysql_history -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 807 Apr 4 2018 .profile -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 59 Jan 14 2020 .python_history drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 7 2020 .qws -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 75 Feb 7 2020 .selected_editor drwx------ 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .ssh -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 0 Jan 14 2020 .sudo_as_admin_successful drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 26 03:46 .vim -rw------- 1 root root 28722 Sep 6 03:15 .viminfo -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 217 Sep 8 2020 .wget-hsts -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 278 Sep 11 2020 gpush.sh -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 21736 Feb 8 2020 logo-transparent.png -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 1323 Sep 14 2020 mysql_backup.sh -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 40 Aug 9 07:11 new_data.txt -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 64 Jul 2 2015 postit.sh -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 262 Mar 14 04:02 remove-old-snaps -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 110 Sep 8 2020 t -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 476 Jul 4 2015 tweet.py -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 39116 Feb 29 2016 tweet_list
Now if you want to sort the output by descending order of file size, that is, from biggest to smallest, you need to use -S option.
$ ls -laS -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 41622 Sep 6 03:15 .bash_history -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 39116 Feb 29 2016 tweet_list -rw------- 1 root root 28722 Sep 6 03:15 .viminfo -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 26834 Aug 28 10:02 new-logo.png -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 21736 Feb 8 2020 logo-transparent.png -rw------- 1 root root 10607 Aug 28 09:23 .mysql_history drwxr-xr-x 10 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Sep 6 03:15 . drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jan 14 2020 .. drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 7 2020 .cache drwx------ 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .gnupg drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .local drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 7 2020 .qws drwx------ 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Jan 14 2020 .ssh drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 26 03:46 .vim -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 3771 Apr 4 2018 .bashrc -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 807 Apr 4 2018 .profile -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 476 Jul 4 2015 tweet.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 278 Sep 11 2020 gpush.sh -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 262 Mar 14 04:02 remove-old-snaps -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 220 Apr 4 2018 .bash_logout -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 217 Sep 8 2020 .wget-hsts -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 110 Sep 8 2020 t -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 75 Feb 7 2020 .selected_editor -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 74 Jan 14 2020 .gitconfig -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 64 Jul 2 2015 postit.sh -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 59 Jan 14 2020 .python_history -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 40 Aug 9 07:11 new_data.txt -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 28 Aug 12 06:35 .lesshst -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 0 Jan 14 2020 .sudo_as_admin_successful
As you can see, the biggest files are listed at the top and the smallest ones are at the bottom. However, the file sizes are mentioned in bytes, which can be confusing. So you can use -h option to display file sizes in human readable form.
$ ls -laSh -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 41K Sep 6 03:15 .bash_history -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 39K Feb 29 2016 tweet_list -rw------- 1 root root 29K Sep 6 03:15 .viminfo -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 27K Aug 28 10:02 new-logo.png -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 22K Feb 8 2020 logo-transparent.png -rw------- 1 root root 11K Aug 28 09:23 .mysql_history drwxr-xr-x 10 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Sep 6 03:15 . drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .. drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Feb 7 2020 .cache drwx------ 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .gnupg drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .local drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Feb 7 2020 .qws drwx------ 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .ssh drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K Apr 26 03:46 .vim -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 3.7K Apr 4 2018 .bashrc -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 807 Apr 4 2018 .profile -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 476 Jul 4 2015 tweet.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 278 Sep 11 2020 gpush.sh -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 262 Mar 14 04:02 remove-old-snaps -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 220 Apr 4 2018 .bash_logout -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 217 Sep 8 2020 .wget-hsts -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 110 Sep 8 2020 t -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 75 Feb 7 2020 .selected_editor -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 74 Jan 14 2020 .gitconfig -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 64 Jul 2 2015 postit.sh -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 59 Jan 14 2020 .python_history -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 40 Aug 9 07:11 new_data.txt -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 28 Aug 12 06:35 .lesshst -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 0 Jan 14 2020 .sudo_as_admin_successful
As you can see, the file sizes are listed Kb, Mb to be human readable.
If you want to sort files in ascending order (smallest to largest) use -r option.
$ ls -laShr -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 0 Jan 14 2020 .sudo_as_admin_successful -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 28 Aug 12 06:35 .lesshst -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 40 Aug 9 07:11 new_data.txt -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 59 Jan 14 2020 .python_history -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 64 Jul 2 2015 postit.sh -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 74 Jan 14 2020 .gitconfig -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 75 Feb 7 2020 .selected_editor -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 110 Sep 8 2020 t -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 217 Sep 8 2020 .wget-hsts -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 220 Apr 4 2018 .bash_logout -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 262 Mar 14 04:02 remove-old-snaps -rwxr-xr-x 1 ubuntu ubuntu 278 Sep 11 2020 gpush.sh -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 476 Jul 4 2015 tweet.py -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 807 Apr 4 2018 .profile -rw-r--r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 3.7K Apr 4 2018 .bashrc drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K Apr 26 03:46 .vim drwx------ 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .ssh drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Feb 7 2020 .qws drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .local drwx------ 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .gnupg drwxrwxr-x 3 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Aug 12 2020 .dropbox-dist drwx------ 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Feb 7 2020 .cache drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4.0K Jan 14 2020 .. drwxr-xr-x 10 ubuntu ubuntu 4.0K Sep 6 03:15 . -rw------- 1 root root 11K Aug 28 09:23 .mysql_history -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 22K Feb 8 2020 logo-transparent.png -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 27K Aug 28 10:02 new-logo.png -rw------- 1 root root 29K Sep 6 03:15 .viminfo -rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 39K Feb 29 2016 tweet_list -rw------- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 41K Sep 6 03:15 .bash_history
If you want to also list files of your subdirectories, recursively, use -R (capital R) option.
Please note, if you only use ls command with options then it will display results for your present working directory. If you want to sort files in another folder /home/ubuntu, you need to mention it after the ls options, as shown below.
$ ls -laShr /home/ubuntu
You can also use du command to list the largest files and folders in Linux. Here is an example to list top 10 files & directories in /home folder.
$ du -a /home | sort -n -r | head -n 10 256452 /home 256448 /home/ubuntu 197312 /home/ubuntu/.dropbox-dist 197300 /home/ubuntu/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-104.4.175 49176 /home/ubuntu/.local 47676 /home/ubuntu/.local/lib 47672 /home/ubuntu/.local/lib/python2.7 47668 /home/ubuntu/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages 47120 /home/ubuntu/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django 37652 /home/ubuntu/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-104.4.175/python-packages.zip
In the above command, du returns a list of all files & folders with their sizes. This output is passed to sort command, that sorts it in descending order. This output is passed to head command that filters and displays only the top 10 commands.
In this short article, we have looked at how to sort files in descending order.
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