Linux · Disk & Filesystem

How to find deleted files still held open in Linux

Recover disk space that df shows used but du cannot find, by locating deleted files still held open by a process with lsof.

When df shows a filesystem full but du finds nothing, a process is usually holding a deleted file open. The space is not freed until that process closes the file or restarts.

# Deleted files still held open (space not yet freed)
sudo lsof +L1

# Or filter the classic way
sudo lsof 2>/dev/null | grep deleted

# Which processes are using a mount point
sudo fuser -vm /var

# Free the space: restart or signal the owning process,
# or truncate its open descriptor:
#   : > /proc/<pid>/fd/<fd>

LinuxlsofDisk Space