UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

when syswatch reports that the root file system is full, how do I, being a future junior administrator deal with that without escalating the problem to the senior administrator???? how do I make it not to be full???

by the way, this is not an homework question.

also, when users call in asking to know specific information about their system. on solaris systems, I know have to go to /var/adm to find out. what information exactly does /var/adm (solaris) and /var/log/messages (linux red hat) holds????

Please, give me an answer to this questions if you can.

THANKS IN ADVANCE

Use the find command to find files in your root directory that are large.

Quote from my "UNIX CD Bookshelf":
To search for files using a range of file sizes, a minus or plus sign can be specified before the number. The minus sign (-) means less than, and the plus sign (+) means greater than. This next example lists all files that are greater than 10,000 bytes, but less than 32,000 bytes:


find . -size +10000c -size -32000c -print

You can just put find . -size +10000c -print to give you any file over a certain size. Increase it to at least 1,000,000 (no commas in find command) or maybe 5,000,000 to find the culprit.

Also, do a finger to see who is on the box right now someone maybe testing something and directed the output to root by accident.

Also, check to see how you box is partitioned. If /var or /tmp are in your root partition that maybe your problem area.


Also, do a man find to see what options you have for your UNIX OS. If you have the -prune option, you can limit the depth of your search with find or else it will search your entire box from the root directory!


Hope this helps.

ok, after I find the files greater than a specific amount, what do I do?? I cant delete them cause they might be useful.

please, explain further. thanks

also, do you know anything about this situation??

"also, when users call in asking to know specific information about their system. on solaris systems, I know have to go to /var/adm to find out. what information exactly does /var/adm (solaris) and /var/log/messages (linux red hat) holds???? "

if you do, please share your knowledge

thanks

You need to find out who the owner is. do an ls -l on the file to see who the owner is.

Then contact them to see what it is doing and if they still need it.

You should ask them to do any work in the /tmp directory or some other larger directory.

Also do a "finger" to see who is logged in.

Here are some sites that may help.

http://docs.sun.com/ab2/bysubject_C/...9-1#CurrentPos

You may need to get a few books on Sun Solaris.

"System Administrator's Guide" by Janice Winsor and Advanced System Administrator's Guide" by Janice Winsor. They are oldies but goodies.

I am an HPUX admin not SUN so my help will be limited for you.

Also, go to your /usr/bin or /usr/sbin directory and do a "man" on some of the executables there to learn more about your system. The only way you will learn is by scouring your box for info.

Some commands will give you info on the box. Some times it will be logfiles that usually reside in /var/adm.