The ls command is used to list directory contents under Linux and Unix like operating systems. If no options or operands are given, the contents of the current directory are displayed on the screen. By default entries are sorted alphabetically if none of the -cftuvSUX nor --sort option passed to the ls command.
The default output (sort by alphabetically)
Type the following command:
$ ls
$ ls *.py
$ ls *.avi
Sample outputs:
Fig.01: ls Command Output
Force sort by size option
You need to pass the -s or --sort=size option as follows:
$ ls -s
$ ls --sort=size
$ ls --sort=size *.avi
$ ls -s *.avi
Sample outputs:
Fig.02: Sort files / folders (directories) by size
You will see largest file first before sorting the operands in lexicographical order. The following command will sort file size in reverse order:
$ ls -l -S | sort -k 5 -nOR try (see comments below, thanks!):
$ ls -lSrSample outputs:
Fig.03: Ls Command Sort By Size in Reverse (Lowest First) Order
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Instead of
$ ls -l -S | sort -k 5 -n
this works also
$ ls -l -S -r
-r = reverse order
Or just do
ll -Sr
:)
ll is alias to ‘ls -l’. Although it it configured on many linux distros, it does not have to be and therefore not guaranteed to work.
Even better is:
$ ls -lrS
Raphael, Roy, and dru,
Thanks for the heads up. The faq has been updated.
what I do is this:
du -xak . | sort -n | tail -100
it finds me the biggest 100 files or directories on the filesystem I’m in