df Cheatsheet
Quick reference for the df command: check disk space, display formats, filesystem filtering, inodes, and custom output fields
df reports the amount of disk space used and available on filesystems. This cheatsheet covers display formats, filesystem filtering, inode usage, and custom output fields.
Basic Usage
Common ways to check disk space.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
df | Show disk usage for all mounted filesystems |
df /path | Show filesystem usage for the given path |
df -h | Human-readable sizes (K, M, G — powers of 1024) |
df -H | Human-readable sizes (K, M, G — powers of 1000) |
df -a | Include all filesystems (including pseudo and duplicate) |
df --total | Add a grand total row at the bottom |
Size Formats
Control how sizes are displayed.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-h | Auto-scale using powers of 1024 (K, M, G) |
-H | Auto-scale using powers of 1000 (SI units) |
-k | Display sizes in 1K blocks (default on most systems) |
-m | Display sizes in 1M blocks |
-BG | Display sizes in 1G blocks |
-B SIZE | Use SIZE-byte blocks (e.g., -BM, -BG, -B512) |
Output Columns
What each column in the default output means.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
Filesystem | Device or remote path of the filesystem |
1K-blocks / Size | Total size of the filesystem |
Used | Space currently in use |
Available | Space available for use |
Use% | Percentage of space used |
Mounted on | Directory where the filesystem is mounted |
Filesystem Type
Show or filter by filesystem type.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-T | Show filesystem type column |
-t TYPE | Only show filesystems of the given type |
-x TYPE | Exclude filesystems of the given type |
-l | Show only local filesystems (exclude network mounts) |
Examples:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
df -t ext4 | Show only ext4 filesystems |
df -x tmpfs | Exclude tmpfs from output |
df -Th | Show type column with human-readable sizes |
Inode Usage
Show inode counts instead of block usage.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
df -i | Show inode usage for all filesystems |
df -ih | Show inode usage with human-readable counts |
df -i /path | Show inode usage for a specific filesystem |
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
Inodes | Total number of inodes |
IUsed | Inodes in use |
IFree | Inodes available |
IUse% | Percentage of inodes used |
Custom Output Fields
Select specific fields with --output.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
source | Filesystem device |
fstype | Filesystem type |
size | Total size |
used | Space used |
avail | Space available |
pcent | Percentage used |
iused | Inodes used |
iavail | Inodes available |
ipcent | Inode percentage used |
target | Mount point |
Example: df --output=source,size,used,avail,pcent,target -h
Related Guides
Use these references for deeper disk usage workflows.
| Guide | Description |
|---|---|
How to Check Disk Space in Linux Using the df Command | Full df guide with practical examples |
Du Command in Linux | Check disk usage for directories and files |