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Linux No Space Left on Device: Causes and Fixes
Last reviewed: 9/14/2026
3 solutions
Exact Error Message
No space left on deviceQuick Fix
Check disk usage: df -h and delete unnecessary files or logs.
What This Error Means
No space left on device occurs when the disk partition reaches 100% capacity or inode limit. This prevents new file creation, logs, and system operations.
Common Symptoms
- •Cannot create files
- •Applications fail to start
- •Services stop working
- •System becomes unstable
Common Causes
- •Log files growing too large
- •Docker images consuming space
- •Package cache filling disk
- •User files filling disk
- •Inode limit reached
- •Old kernels not cleaned
Diagnostic Steps
- 1Check disk usage: df -h
- 2Check inode usage: df -i
- 3Find large files: du -h --max-depth=1
- 4Check Docker space usage
- 5Identify space-consuming directories
Solutions
Solution 1: Clean log files
- 1Identify large log files
- 2Compress or delete old logs
- 3Configure log rotation
- 4Set up log cleanup automation
Commands to Run
Deleting logs may lose important information
find /var/log -type f -name '*.log' -exec du -h {} + | sort -hrBackup logs before deletion
truncate -s 0 /var/log/SERVICE.logSolution 2: Clean Docker resources
- 1Remove unused Docker images
- 2Remove stopped containers
- 3Clean build cache
- 4Remove unused volumes
Commands to Run
Cannot recover deleted images
docker system prune -aEnsure no containers need the images
docker volume pruneSolution 3: Clean package cache
- 1Clean package manager cache
- 2Remove old kernel packages
- 3Clean temp directories
- 4Verify space freed
Commands to Run
Package cache speeds up installations
apt-get cleanRe-downloading may be needed
apt-get autoremoveyum clean allPrevention Tips
- ✓Set up log rotation
- ✓Monitor disk usage
- ✓Set up disk space alerts
- ✓Clean old kernels regularly
- ✓Use disk space quotas if needed
Version Notes: Applies to Linux with ext4, xfs filesystems
Official Documentation
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