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Asked: 2024-09-24T17:56:59+05:30 In:

I am experiencing a problem where the /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu directory is consuming a large amount of disk space, and despite my efforts, I cannot seem to resolve the issue. I’ve looked for solutions but haven’t found anything effective yet. Can anyone provide guidance or suggestions on how to address this situation?

I’m in a bit of a bind and really hoping you all can help me out. So here’s the deal: I’ve been noticing that my server is running low on disk space, and after some investigation, I found that the /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu directory is taking up a massive chunk of it. Honestly, it’s kind of frustrating because I’ve done a fair bit of digging and can’t seem to figure out the best way to tackle this.

I’m not entirely sure what’s in there that is using so much space, but it seems like a lot of shared libraries and maybe some old versions of packages that I no longer need. I’ve tried a few things like cleaning up unused packages with `apt-get autoremove` and `apt-get clean`, but the directory still looks pretty bloated. It’s gotten to the point where I’m worried about running out of space completely, and I don’t want to disrupt any services that are running on this box.

I’ve read a bit about manually deleting some files, but I’m really hesitant to go that route since I don’t want to accidentally break something essential. Has anyone dealt with a similar issue? What steps did you take to either identify what was taking up the space or safely clean it up?

Also, if there are any specific commands or tools you recommend for checking the contents of that directory and figuring out which files are safe to remove, I’d be all ears. And if you think it’s a matter of just having too many unused libraries, I’d love to hear any tips on managing them better in the future!

I’ve got backups in place and I’m ready to act, but I just need a little nudge in the right direction. I promise I’ve done some homework on this already, but I’m stuck. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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    2 Answers






    1. Server Disk Space Help


      Disk Space Help for /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

      Sounds like you’re in a tricky situation! That directory does tend to get bloated with shared libraries and old packages over time. Here are a few steps you could try:

      Check Disk Usage

      Start by checking which files are taking up the most space. You can run:

      du -sh /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/* | sort -hr | head -n 10

      This will list the top 10 largest items in that directory. Use this info to see if there are any obvious candidates for cleanup.

      Identify Unused Libraries

      For identifying packages, the command:

      dpkg-query -Wf '${Installed-Size}\t${Package}\n' | sort -n

      will help you see the installed packages and their sizes. You can look for packages related to libraries here.

      Using Tools for Cleanup

      If you want something a bit more user-friendly, there are tools like ncdu. You can install it with:

      sudo apt install ncdu

      Then, run:

      sudo ncdu /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

      This will give you an interactive view of the directory and let you navigate through files to see what’s large.

      Be Careful with Manual Deletion

      Yeah, manually deleting can be risky. If you do decide to remove something, double-check if it’s not required by any packages. You can use:

      apt-cache rdepends

      to see what depends on that package before you delete anything.

      Looking Ahead

      In the future, you might want to run autoremove more frequently, and keep an eye on what you install to avoid unnecessary packages.

      It’s great that you have backups ready to go. Just take your time and double-check before making changes. Good luck!




    2. Server Disk Space Management

      To effectively tackle the issue of low disk space in the /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu directory, start by determining which files are consuming the most space. You can use the command du -sh /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/* | sort -hr | head -n 20 to list the largest directories or files within that path. This helps you identify any particularly large shared libraries or old versions of packages that might not be necessary. Additionally, installing tools like ncdu can provide a more interactive way to assess disk usage and manage the files. Just run sudo apt install ncdu and then execute sudo ncdu /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu to visualize the space usage in a user-friendly manner.

      In terms of safe cleanup, avoid manually deleting files unless absolutely certain of their impact. Instead, consider using apt-get remove --purge followed by the package names of any unnecessary software. If you suspect many libraries are legacy remnants, a good practice would be to periodically run deborphan, which identifies orphaned packages that no longer have any packages depending on them. To install it, use sudo apt install deborphan, then execute deborphan to review and safely remove unneeded packages. Also, frequently check for system updates and perform cleanup with apt-get autoremove as an ongoing maintenance practice. Ensuring your system is tidy can prevent similar issues in the future.


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