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How to check your quota usage

  1. Open a terminal window. (If you are doing this remotely, then connect to your network account using SSH.)
  2. Issue the command quota. This will tell you:
    • The filesystem you are using;
    • The number of 1 Kb blocks you are using;
    • The quota of how many 1 Kb blocks you are allowed to use;
    • The absolute limit (you can temporarily exceed your quota in some cases, but you can never exceed this limit);
    • The number of files you are using.
    See the image below for an example.
  3. If your account runs out of space, you will no longer receive e-mail, and you might even be unable to log in graphically. (But you should still be able to connect remotely via SSH, allowing you to delete some files.)
  4. Precious space might be wasted by your browser's cache. Inside your browser's Preferences, try reducing the cache size.
  5. Your e-mail INBOX may be cluttered with junk messages, old messages you no longer need, or large attachments that you've already saved. Significant space is recovered by deleting such items from your INBOX. For additional INBOX reductions, move older messages out of the INBOX and into a separate e-mail folder.
  6. The command du -s * might help you determine where your big files are, but it won't show hidden files. You can use shopt -s dotglob; du -s * to include hidden files.
  7. If you are involved in a Math Department activity that requires you to have more space, then please contact the computer staff to request a quota increase.
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