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3.6. Account Quotas

Account Quotas

Every Department of Mathematics network account has a disk quota which limits the amount of file system space you can use. The default quota for new accounts is 1 gigabyte (GB). If you find that 1 GB isn't enough, please contact the computer staff to request a quota increase.


If you fill up your disk quota, you may not be able to log in at all. 

Checking Your Disk Quota

To check your quota, do the following

  1. Open a terminal window. (If you are doing this remotely, then connect to your network account using SSH.)
  2. Issue the command quota. This will tell you:
    • The filesystem you are using;
    • The number of 1 KB blocks you are using;
    • The quota of how many 1 KB blocks you are allowed to use;
    • The absolute limit (you can temporarily exceed your quota in some cases, but you can never exceed this limit);
    • The number of files you are using.
  3. If your account runs out of space, you might even be unable to log in graphically. (But you should still be able to connect remotely via SSH, allowing you to delete some files.)
  4. Disk space is often used by your browser's cache. Inside your browser's Preferences, try reducing the cache size, or clearing the cache.
  5. The command du -h --max-depth=1 might help you determine where your big files are, just make sure you run it from your home directory.
  6. If you are involved in a Math Department activity that requires you to have more space, then please contact the computer staff to request a quota increase.


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