Introduction

Deleting large files in Linux can be a daunting task, especially if you are dealing with files that are 100-200GB in size. Fortunately, there are a few methods you can use to delete these huge files quickly and easily. In this guide, we will discuss the different ways to delete huge files in Linux, including using the rm command, shred command, and more. We will also discuss some tips and tricks to help you delete large files more efficiently. By the end of this guide, you should have a better understanding of how to delete huge files in Linux.

How to Delete HUGE (100-200GB) Files in Linux

1. Use the rm command: The rm command is the most basic way to delete large files in Linux. To delete a file, simply type rm followed by the file name. For example, to delete a file named “myfile.txt”, type rm myfile.txt.

2. Use the shred command: The shred command is a more secure way to delete large files in Linux. It overwrites the file multiple times with random data, making it much harder to recover the file. To use the shred command, type shred followed by the file name. For example, to delete a file named “myfile.txt”, type shred myfile.txt.

3. Use the find command: The find command is a powerful tool for finding and deleting large files in Linux. To use the find command, type find followed by the directory you want to search. For example, to search the current directory, type find . To delete the files found, add the -delete option. For example, to delete all files larger than 100GB, type find . -size +100G -delete.
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In the realm of Linux terminal operations, a range of Linux commands are at our disposal for the purpose of effectively deleting or removing files.

When it comes to the task of file elimination, we commonly rely on the “rm” command, which swiftly erases files from the system. For enhanced security and assurance, the “shred” command comes into play, ensuring the thorough and secure deletion of a file, leaving no trace behind.

Furthermore, the “wipe” command offers an added layer of protection, securely erasing files beyond any possibility of recovery. In more complex scenarios or for advanced file deletion needs, we can turn to the secure deletion tools designed to meet the highest standards of secure file deletion.

With these powerful options at our disposal, we can confidently and effectively remove files from the Linux terminal environment.

We can use any of the above utilities to deal with relatively small files. What if we want to delete/remove a huge file/directory say about 100-200GB?

This may not be as easy as it seems, in terms of the time taken to remove the file (I/O scheduling) as well as the amount of RAM consumed while carrying out the operation.

In this tutorial, we will explain how to efficiently and reliably delete huge files/directories in Linux.

The main aim here is to use a technique that will not slow down the system while removing a huge file, resulting to reasonable I/O. We can achieve this using the ionice command.

Deleting HUGE (200GB) Files in Linux Using ionice Command

ionice is a useful program that sets or gets the I/O scheduling class and priority for another program. If no arguments or just -p is given, ionice will query the current I/O scheduling class and priority for that process.

If we give a command name such as rm command, it will run this command with the given arguments. To specify the process IDs of running processes for which to get or set the scheduling parameters, run this:

# ionice -p PID

To specify the name or number of the scheduling class to use (0 for none, 1 for real-time, 2 for best-effort, 3 for idle) the command below.

This means that rm will belong to the idle I/O class and only uses I/O when any other process does not need it:

---- Deleting Huge Files in Linux -----
# ionice -c 3 rm /var/logs/syslog
# ionice -c 3 rm -rf /var/log/apache

If there won’t be much idle time on the system, then we may want to use the best-effort scheduling class and set a low priority like this:

# ionice -c 2 -n 6 rm /var/logs/syslog
# ionice -c 2 -n 6 rm -rf /var/log/apache

Note: To delete huge files using a secure method, we may use the shred, wipe and various tools in the secure-deletion toolkit mentioned earlier on, instead of the rm command.

For more info, look through the ionice man page:

# man ionice

That’s it for now! What other methods do you have in mind for the above purpose? Use the comment section below to share with us.

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How to Delete HUGE (100-200GB) Files in Linux

Method 1: Using the rm Command

The rm command is the most basic way to delete files in Linux. To delete a large file, you can use the following command:

rm -f /path/to/file

This command will delete the file without prompting for confirmation. However, it is important to note that this command will not work if the file is larger than 2GB. If the file is larger than 2GB, you will need to use one of the other methods described below.

Method 2: Using the shred Command

The shred command is a more secure way to delete large files in Linux. This command will overwrite the file multiple times before deleting it, making it much harder to recover the data. To use the shred command, you can use the following command:

shred -f -z -u /path/to/file

This command will overwrite the file with random data before deleting it. This makes it much harder to recover the data from the file.

Method 3: Using the split Command

The split command is another way to delete large files in Linux. This command will split the file into smaller chunks, which can then be deleted individually. To use the split command, you can use the following command:

split -b 100M /path/to/file

This command will split the file into chunks of 100MB each. You can then delete each chunk individually using the rm command.

Conclusion

Deleting large files in Linux can be a difficult task, but it is possible. The methods described above are the most common ways to delete large files in Linux. If you are dealing with files that are larger than 2GB, you will need to use the shred or split commands.

Introduction