Ncdu - NCurses Disk Usage

ncdu is a command-line disk usage analyzer with an ncurses interface. It provides a fast, interactive way to visualize which directories and files are consuming your storage space, allowing you to easily find and delete "space hogs."

Installation (Arch Linux)

Open your terminal and run:

sudo pacman -S ncdu

How to Use It

Start the Scanner

Run ncdu to scan the current directory, or specify a path:

ncdu              # Scans current directory
ncdu /home/user   # Scans a specific folder
ncdu -x /         # Scans the entire root system (ignores mounted drives)

Navigate

Arrow Keys (or k/j): Move up and down.

Enter (or l): Open selected directory.

Backspace (or h): Go back/up a directory.

Manage Files

d: Delete the selected file or directory (asks for confirmation).

n: Sort by name.

s: Sort by size.

Export & Import Results

You can save a scan to a file (useful for remote servers) and view it later without rescanning.

• Export to file:

ncdu -o scan_results.json /path/to/scan

• View from file:

ncdu -f scan_results.json

Quit

Press q to exit.