ls with file size with code examples

The ls command is one of the most commonly used Linux commands. It allows you to list the contents of a directory, including files and subdirectories. The ls command provides a lot of useful information, but it doesn't show the size of files by default. In this article, we'll look at how to display the file size along with the ls command and provide some code examples to illustrate the process.

Displaying file size with ls

To display the size of each file along with the ls command, you can use the -l option. This option provides a long listing format, which includes the size of each file, as well as other information such as the permissions, owner, and date of modification.

Here's an example of how to use the ls command with the -l option:

ls -l

This will produce a list of all the files and directories in the current directory, along with their size in bytes.

To display the file size in a more readable format, you can use the -h option. This option displays the size of each file in human-readable format, with units such as KB, MB, GB, etc.

Here's an example of how to use the ls command with the -lh options:

ls -lh

This will produce a list of all the files and directories in the current directory, along with their size in human-readable format.

Sorting by file size with ls

You can sort the output of the ls command based on the size of the files by using the -S option. This option sorts the output based on the size of each file, with the largest files appearing first.

Here's an example of how to use the ls command with the -lhS options:

ls -lhS

This will produce a list of all the files and directories in the current directory, sorted by size in human-readable format, with the largest files appearing first.

Listing only the largest files with ls

You can list only the largest files in a directory by using the ls command in combination with the head command. The head command allows you to display the first n lines of a file, where n is a number that you specify.

Here's an example of how to list the largest 10 files in a directory:

ls -lhS | head -n 10

This command first sorts the output of the ls command based on file size and then displays only the first 10 lines of the output, which correspond to the largest 10 files in the directory.

Conclusion

The ls command is an incredibly powerful tool for listing the contents of a directory. By using options such as -l, -h, and -S, you can display the size of each file and sort the output based on file size. In this article, we've looked at how to display file size with the ls command and provided several code examples to help you get started. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced Linux user, the ls command is an essential tool for managing your files and directories.

Understanding the output of the ls command

The output of the ls command can be somewhat complex, so it's important to understand what each part of the output represents. Here's a description of the different fields in the output:

• Permissions: The first field shows the permissions for the file or directory. The first character is either - for a file or d for a directory. The next three characters indicate the permissions for the owner of the file, the next three characters indicate the permissions for the group, and the final three characters indicate the permissions for others. The permissions can be r (read), w (write), or x (execute), and the absence of a permission is represented by a -.

• Links: The second field shows the number of links to the file or directory.

• Owner: The third field shows the owner of the file or directory.

• Group: The fourth field shows the group that the file or directory belongs to.

• Size: The fifth field shows the size of the file in bytes.

• Date: The sixth field shows the date of the last modification of the file or directory.

• Name: The final field shows the name of the file or directory.

Advanced options for the ls command

In addition to the options we've discussed so far, there are many other options that you can use with the ls command to customize its behavior. Some of the most useful options include:

• -a: This option shows hidden files and directories in the output. By default, the ls command doesn't show hidden files, which are files or directories that have names that start with a dot (.).

• -R: This option recursively lists the contents of all subdirectories. This can be useful when you want to see the entire contents of a directory, including all its subdirectories.

• -t: This option sorts the output by modification time, with the most recently modified files appearing first.

• --color: This option highlights the output in color, making it easier to distinguish between different types of files.

• --block-size: This option allows you to specify the size of the blocks used to display file sizes. By default, the ls command uses a block size of 1024 bytes, but you can use this option to specify a different block size if you prefer.

These are just a few of the many options that are available with the ls command. To see a complete list of options, you can use the man command to view the manual page for ls.

Using ls in scripts

The ls command is often used in shell scripts, where it can be combined with other commands to automate tasks. For example, you can use the ls command in a script to find the largest files in a directory and then move them to another location, or to search for files that match a certain pattern.

When using the ls command in a script, it's important to be aware of the fact that the output of the command may change depending on the locale settings of the system. To ensure that your scripts produce the same output on all systems, you can use the LC_ALL environment variable to specify the locale that the script should use.

Here's an example of a simple script that uses the ls command to list the contents of a directory:

## Popular questions 
1. What is the `ls` command and what does it do?
   - The `ls` command is a Linux and Unix command that is used to list the contents of a directory. It displays the names of the files and directories in the directory, along with information about each file, such as its permissions, size, and modification date.

2. How can I display the file size of each file when using the `ls` command?
   - You can display the file size of each file by using the `-l` option with the `ls` command. This option displays the output in a long format, which includes the size of each file in bytes.

3. How can I sort the output of the `ls` command by file size?
   - You can sort the output of the `ls` command by file size by using the `-S` option. This option sorts the files by size, with the largest files appearing first.

4. How can I display hidden files and directories when using the `ls` command?
   - You can display hidden files and directories by using the `-a` option with the `ls` command. This option shows all files, including hidden files and directories, in the output.

5. Can the `ls` command be used in scripts, and how?
   - Yes, the `ls` command can be used in scripts. It can be combined with other commands to automate tasks, such as searching for files that match a certain pattern or moving the largest files in a directory to another location. To ensure that the output of the `ls` command is consistent across different systems, you can use the `LC_ALL` environment variable to specify the locale that the script should use.
### Tag 
Filesystem