How to Use the Command diskonaut (with examples)
Diskonaut is a terminal disk space navigator written in Rust. It provides a visual representation of the disk usage of a directory and its subdirectories. This makes it easy to identify large files and directories that may be taking up unnecessary space.
Use case 1: Starting diskonaut in the current directory
Code:
diskonaut
Motivation: By simply running the diskonaut command without any arguments, it will start scanning the current directory and launch the disk space navigator in the terminal. This is useful when you want to explore the disk usage of your current working directory.
Explanation: Running diskonaut with no arguments will initiate the application in the current directory. It will scan the directory and its subdirectories, collecting disk usage information to display it in a visual and interactive way.
Example output:
Analyzing disk usage...
Disk space navigation initialized.
Please visit http://localhost:51659 with your web browser to view the results.
Use case 2: Starting diskonaut in a specific directory
Code:
diskonaut path/to/directory
Motivation: Running diskonaut in a specific directory allows you to analyze the disk usage of a specific directory and its subdirectories, rather than starting at the current working directory. This can be useful when you want to focus on a particular directory without being overwhelmed by the entire file system.
Explanation: By specifying the path to a directory along with the diskonaut command, the application will start scanning that directory and launching the disk space navigator in the terminal. This will provide insights into the disk usage within the specified directory.
Example output:
Analyzing disk usage...
Disk space navigation initialized for path/to/directory.
Please visit http://localhost:51659 with your web browser to view the results.
Use case 3: Showing file sizes rather than their block usage on the disk
Code:
diskonaut --apparent-size path/to/directory
Motivation: The --apparent-size option allows you to see the actual file sizes instead of their block usage on the disk. This can be useful when you want to have a more intuitive understanding of the space occupied by files.
Explanation: By using the --apparent-size option along with the diskonaut command, the application will display the file sizes in bytes rather than the blocks they occupy on the disk. This is beneficial when you want to assess the actual size of files, especially when dealing with small files that may appear larger due to block usage.
Example output:
Analyzing disk usage...
Disk space navigation initialized for path/to/directory.
Please visit http://localhost:51659 with your web browser to view the results.
Use case 4: Disabling deletion confirmation
Code:
diskonaut --disable-delete-confirmation
Motivation: The --disable-delete-confirmation option allows you to delete files and directories without requiring confirmation. This can be helpful when you want to quickly delete files and directories during your disk space exploration.
Explanation: By using the --disable-delete-confirmation option along with the diskonaut command, the application will no longer prompt for confirmation before deleting files or directories. This can save time when you are confident in what you want to delete and don’t want to be slowed down by confirmation prompts.
Example output:
Analyzing disk usage...
Disk space navigation initialized.
Please visit http://localhost:51659 with your web browser to view the results.
Conclusion
Diskonaut is a powerful tool for visualizing disk space usage in a directory and its subdirectories. By using different options and arguments, you can customize its behavior to suit your needs. Whether you need to explore the disk usage in the current directory, a specific directory, view file sizes instead of block usage, or disable delete confirmation, diskonaut provides a convenient way to analyze and manage disk space efficiently.
