How to use the command 'repquota' (with examples)

The ‘repquota’ command is used to display a summary of existing file quotas for a filesystem. It provides information about the usage and limits of disk space allocated to users or groups. The command can be useful for system administrators to monitor and manage quotas effectively.

Use case 1: Report stats for all quotas in use

Code:

sudo repquota -all

Motivation:

This command is used to report statistics for all quotas in use on a filesystem. It displays information about the usage and limits of disk space for all users and groups on the filesystem, including both active and inactive quotas. This can be helpful in gaining an overview of the quota usage on the system.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• -all: Display statistics for all quotas in use.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                        Block limits                File limits
User            used    soft    hard  grace    used  soft  hard  grace
----------------------------------------------------------------------

...

Use case 2: Report quota stats for all users, even those who aren’t using any of their quota

Code:

sudo repquota -v filesystem

Motivation:

By using this command, you can view the quota statistics for all users, whether they are utilizing their allocated quota or not. This information helps to identify users who may be underutilizing their quota or are close to reaching their limits.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• -v: Show verbose output, which includes information about all users.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                        Block limits                File limits
User            used    soft    hard  grace    used  soft  hard  grace
----------------------------------------------------------------------
user1       --      2       2       0                 2      0      0      
user2       --     25      25       0                 5      0      0      
user3       --      0       0       0                 6      0      0  
...

Use case 3: Report on quotas for users only

Code:

sudo repquota --user filesystem

Motivation:

Sometimes, you may only want to view quota information for individual users rather than groups. This can be useful when you need to identify specific users who may be reaching their quota limits or troubleshoot quota issues on a per-user basis.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• –user: Display information for users only.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                        Block limits                File limits
User            used    soft    hard  grace    used  soft  hard  grace
----------------------------------------------------------------------
user1       --      2       2       0                 2      0      0      
user2       --     25      25       0                 5      0      0      
user3       --      0       0       0                 6      0      0  
...

Use case 4: Report on quotas for groups only

Code:

sudo repquota --group filesystem

Motivation:

In certain scenarios, you may want to focus on quota information for groups rather than individual users. This can help in identifying groups that are close to or have exceeded their allocated quota limits, allowing for better management of disk space distribution among groups.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• –group: Display information for groups only.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                        Block limits                File limits
Group           used    soft    hard  grace    used  soft  hard  grace
----------------------------------------------------------------------
group1      --      4       4       0                 7      0      0
group2      --     20      25       0                10      0      0
group3      --      0       0       0                 3      0      0
...

Use case 5: Report on used quota and limits in a human-readable format

Code:

sudo repquota --human-readable filesystem

Motivation:

This command is useful when you want the output of the quota statistics to be displayed in a more easily understandable format. The human-readable format provides quota usage and limits in a more informative and readable way, facilitating easier interpretation and analysis.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• –human-readable: Display quota usage and limits in a human-readable format.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                                               Block limits                                                 File limits
User                  used       soft       hard       grace       used       soft       hard       grace
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
user1            --     2.0T        2.0T        0.0T                      2        0        0      
user2            --     25.0G        25.0G        0.0G                      5        0        0 
user3            --     0.0G        0.0G        0.0G                      6        0        0 
...

Use case 6: Report on all quotas for users and groups in a human-readable format

Code:

sudo repquota -augs

Motivation:

This command is used to display quota statistics for both users and groups in a human-readable format. It provides a consolidated view of the quota usage and limits for all users and groups, making it easier to analyze and manage quotas across the filesystem.

Explanation:

• sudo: Run the command with administrative privileges.
• repquota: The command used to report quota statistics.
• -a: Display statistics for all users and groups.
• -u: Display information for users.
• -g: Display information for groups.
• -s: Use a human-readable format.

Example output:

*** Report for filesystem ***
Block grace time: 7days; Inode grace time: 7days
                                               Block limits                                                 File limits
User/Group                   used       soft       hard       grace       used       soft       hard       grace
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
user1                   --     2.0T        2.0T        0.0T                       2        0        0
user2                   --     25.0G        25.0G        0.0G                       5        0        0
user3                   --     0.0G        0.0G        0.0G                       6        0        0
group1                  --     4.0G        4.0G        0.0G                       7        0        0
group2                  --     20.0G        25.0G        0.0G                       10        0        0
group3                  --     0.0G        0.0G        0.0G                       3        0        0
...

Conclusion:

The ‘repquota’ command provides valuable information about the usage and limits of file quotas for a filesystem. It allows system administrators to monitor and manage disk space allocations for both users and groups. By using different options and arguments, it becomes versatile in providing various perspectives on quota statistics, ensuring effective quota management.