duf

Updated

September 4, 2026

Overview

duf is a modern, colorful disk usage / free space viewer — a friendlier alternative to df -h. It groups local, network, special, and inaccessible filesystems with readable tables. Optional install (apt install duf, etc.). Keep df for scripts and minimal systems.

Syntax

duf [options] [device/path...]

Common Options

Option Description
-all Show all filesystems including pseudo
-only local|network|fuse|special|loops|binds Filter types
-only-mp / -only-device Filter by mount/device strings
-hide Hide types
-output Choose columns
-sort Sort key (size, used, avail, usage, …)
-json JSON output
-style UI style
-theme Color theme
-width Width
-inodes Inode view
-avail-threshold / -usage-threshold Highlight thresholds

Confirm with duf --help for your version.

Examples with Explanations

Everyday

duf
duf -only local
duf /
duf -sort usage

Inodes

duf -inodes
df -ih

JSON

duf -json | jq .

Hide noise

duf -hide special,loops,binds
# or only local disks:
duf -only local

Compare with df

df -hT
duf
findmnt

Threshold awareness

duf -usage-threshold 0.8

Highlights nearly full mounts when supported.

Notes / Pitfalls

  • Not portable to bare recovery images — know df -hT.
  • Colors/unicode need a capable terminal.
  • Bind mounts and snap loops can still clutter — filter them.
  • JSON schema may change across versions.
  • Network FS free space can be misleading (quotas, cloud buckets).

2026-relevant notes

  • Excellent interactive upgrade alongside dust/eza/bat.
  • Monitoring systems should still scrape node_exporter/df metrics, not duf.
  • Btrfs/ZFS may need native tools for pool-level free space accuracy.

Additional Resources