In this article, we will explore gdu, an open-source disk usage analyzer developed in Go. The tool draws inspiration from projects like godu, dua, ncdu, and df.

The gdu utility is specifically optimized for use with SSD drives, where it leverages parallel processing to boost performance. However, it can also run on HDDs, though the speed may be somewhat reduced. You can view benchmark results to compare its performance across different storage types. There are several other tools available offering similar functionality, so it's worth trying gdu out to see if it meets your requirements.

Installing Gdu – Linux Disk Usage Analyzer

There are multiple ways to install gdu depending on your Linux distribution, but here we’ll focus on a universal method that works across all major Linux distros.

Start by visiting the gdu GitHub releases page and download the latest archive file. At the time of writing, the current version is v4.9.1, and it’s recommended to always go with the most recent release.

<code>$ curl -L http://m.miracleart.cn/link/bb43b255f1e4020e7ad8f6cd9d39fa9d/latest/download/gdu_linux_amd64.tgz | tar xz
$ chmod  x gdu_linux_amd64
$ sudo mv gdu_linux_amd64 /usr/bin/gdu</code>

Once installed, confirm it’s working correctly by checking the version:

<code>$ gdu --version

<strong>Version:        v4.9.1
Built time:     Sat Mar 27 09:47:28 PM  CET 2021
Built user:     dundee</strong></code>

Before diving in, it’s a good idea to check the built-in help menu:

<code>$ gdu --help</code>

Running gdu without any arguments will analyze the current directory. In my case, since I'm in my home folder, it scans that directory by default.

<code>$ gdu</code>

To analyze a specific directory, simply provide the path as an argument:

<code>$ gdu /home/tecmint/bash</code>

Note that you cannot pass more than one directory at a time:

<code>$ gdu /home /var</code>

While inside the interface, you can perform various actions. Press ? to bring up the help menu.

From the help screen, you’ll find options for sorting, scanning, and navigating directories. Take some time to explore these features to become familiar with them.

To delete a file or folder, press the “d" key and confirm the deletion when prompted.

Pressing “v" lets you preview the contents of a file. To exit the preview, hit the escape key.

You can exclude certain directories from being scanned using the -i flag. Multiple paths can be excluded by separating them with commas:

<code>$ gdu /home/karthick/ -i /home/karthick/.ssh,/home/karthick/sqlite</code>

Some special characters might appear next to files and directories, each indicating a specific condition:

<code>[ ! ] ? Error while reading directory
[ . ] ? Error while reading subdirectory.
[ @ ] ? File is socket or symlink.
[ H ] ? Hardlink already counted elsewhere.
[ e ] ? Empty directory.</code>

If you prefer a monochrome display, use the “-c" option:

<code>$ gdu -c /etc/systemd</code>

By default, gdu runs in interactive mode. If you'd rather have a plain text output, use the “-n" flag:

<code>$ gdu -n ~</code>

That concludes our overview of gdu. Try it out and see how it stacks up against other disk usage tools you're used to.

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