Ubuntu 18.04 root partition out of disk space

📖 ~1 min read

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

System updates and writes fail because the root filesystem is full.

Environment & Reproduction

Errors include no space left on device during package install or log writes.

Root Cause Analysis

Large logs, stale package caches, old kernels, or runaway application data fill root.

Quick Triage

Free minimal space by cleaning package cache and rotating oversized logs.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Run df -h, du -xhd1 /, and inspect /var/log plus /var/cache paths for growth.

Solution – Primary Fix

Purge unneeded kernels, clean apt cache, truncate safe logs, and remove orphan files.

Solution – Alternative Approaches

Move bulky data to separate volumes and expand the root partition when possible.

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

Sufficient free space remains and package operations complete normally.

Rollback Plan

Restore critical files from backup if cleanup removed required assets.

Prevention & Hardening

Implement log retention policies and periodic disk usage audits.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Closely tied to failed upgrades, temp file creation failures, and journald issues.

Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

View all Ubuntu 18.04 LTS tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

Review Ubuntu disk management and package cache maintenance documentation.