How To Check Your Filesystem Using Command Line

In this article, we’ll explore various command line tools that you can use to check the filesystem on your computer. This knowledge can be quite useful, especially when diagnosing issues related to disk usage, partitioning, and system configuration.

What is a Filesystem?

A filesystem is a method of storing and organizing computer files and their associated data. It determines how data is stored on your disk and retrieved when required. Examples of filesystems include NTFS for Windows, HFS+ for Mac, and EXT4 for Linux.

Checking Your Filesystem Using Command Line

There are several command line tools that you can use to check the filesystem. These include fdisk, blkid, df, lsblk, file, gpart, and udisksctl.

Using fdisk

The fdisk command is used to manipulate the disk partition table. To list information about your disks and partitions, use the -l option. For example:

sudo fdisk -l

This command provides information about the size of the disks, the number of partitions, and the type of partitions. However, it may not always specify the exact filesystem type.

Using blkid

The blkid command is used to locate or print block device attributes. To display the filesystem type and other information for attached devices, use:

sudo blkid /dev/sda1

Replace /dev/sda1 with the appropriate device or partition.

Using df

The df command is used to report the amount of disk space used by file systems. To list all disks used with their corresponding filesystem types, use the -h and -T options:

sudo df -h -T

The -h option makes the output human-readable by providing sizes in human-readable format (e.g., KB, MB). The -T option displays the filesystem type.

Using lsblk

The lsblk command is used to list information about all available or the specified block devices. To display the filesystem type, use the -f option:

lsblk -f

This command provides information about the device’s name, size, mount point, and filesystem type.

Using file

The file command is used to determine the type of a file. To display detailed information about the filesystem on a specific device, use the -s option:

sudo file -s /dev/sda1

Replace /dev/sda1 with the appropriate device or partition.

Using gpart

The gpart command is used to guess the primary partition table of a PC-type hard disk. To display the partition table and filesystem information, use:

sudo gpart -vvd /dev/sda

The -vvd option is used for verbose output.

Using udisksctl

The udisksctl command is used to query or manipulate storage devices. To get information about devices and their filesystems, use:

udisksctl status

This command lists devices and determines the relevant device’s ID. Then, using the following command, you can get the filesystem information:

udisksctl info --block-device /dev/sdc1

Replace /dev/sdc1 with the appropriate device.

Conclusion

Understanding your filesystem and how to check it using command line tools is a crucial skill for any system administrator or power user. While the commands above are quite comprehensive, always remember to check the man pages (man command-name) for more detailed information and additional options. Happy computing!