See live inode statistics and discover when metadata, not bytes, is the bottleneck. 19.12.2025 | reading time: 2 min Every file on a Linux filesystem consumes an inode; when inodes run out you cannot create new files even if there is free disk space, so checking inode tables is the first step when many small files appear or services fail to write logs. Quick live check Run a few commands to see inode usage immediately and compare outputs: ```bash $ df -i Filesystem Inodes IUsed IFree IUse% Mounted on /dev/sda1 131072 10234 120838 8% / $ stat -f / File: "/" ID: 103000 Namelen: 255 Type: ext2/ext3 Block size: 4096 Fundamental block size: 4096 Blocks: Total: 32768 Free: 29654 Available: 28000 Inodes: Total: 131072 Free: 120838 $ ls -i /var/log | head -n 3 202345 /var/log/syslog 202346 /var/log/kern.log 202347 /var/log/auth.log ``` Find and act on inode problems If `df -i` shows high IUse% find what consumes inodes with `find` and delete safely by inode when needed, for example `find /var -xdev -printf "%i %p\n" | sort` to inspect, and `find /path -xdev -inum 12345 -delete` to remove a stubborn entry; remember that deleting by inode bypasses filename resolution so run as root with care. Deeper, per-filesystem details For ext2/3/4 inspect filesystem metadata with `tune2fs -l /dev/sdXN` or `dumpe2fs -h /dev/sdXN` (root required) to read the inode count and allocation, and for XFS use `xfs_info /mountpoint` to learn allocation group details; low-level kernel counters are also visible in `/proc/sys/fs/` for advanced monitoring. Next steps and precautions Regularly monitor inodes alongside free bytes in automated checks, avoid creating huge numbers of tiny files in single filesystems, and consider reformatting with a different inode ratio or using multiple mountpoints when growth patterns demand it; always test destructive commands on replicas first. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. filesystem utilities storage troubleshooting
