If you need to identify exactly which websites or directories are consuming the most storage on your mybox account, the most efficient method is using the SSH (Secure Shell) terminal. While the dashboard provides a high-level overview, SSH allows you to inspect specific subfolders in real-time.
To use these commands, you must first have SSH access enabled in your mybox panel and a terminal client (like Terminal on macOS/Linux or PuTTY on Windows) connected to your server.
Table of Contents
Using the du command
The standard tool for checking disk usage is the du (disk usage) command. By default, running du alone can produce a long, confusing list of every single subfolder. To get a clean, readable summary, use the following structured command:
Bash
du -sh --max-depth=1
Breakdown of the command:
du: The base command for “disk usage.”-s: Summarizes the total for each argument.-h: “Human-readable” format (converts bytes into KB, MB, or GB).--max-depth=1: Tells the system to only show the top-level folders in your current directory, rather than listing every file inside them.
Example Result
When you run the command from your root directory, you will see an output similar to this:
| Size | Folder Name |
| 48M | ./website1.mybox.com |
| 52K | ./.logs |
| 160M | ./wordpress_site |
| 156K | ./staging_area |
| 210M | . (Total for current directory) |
Practical Implications
- Hidden Folders: The command includes hidden directories (those starting with a dot, like
.logsor.cagefs), which are often overlooked but can accumulate significant data over time. - Midnight Commander (MC): If you are using the MC file manager via SSH, the command output will be hidden behind the interface. Press
CTRL + Oto toggle the interface off and view your results, then press it again to return to the manager. - Real-Time Accuracy: Unlike dashboard statistics which may have a slight delay, the
ducommand queries the file system directly, providing the most accurate “up-to-the-second” data. - Navigation: You can run this command inside any folder. For example, if you want to see which specific folder inside a website is the largest, use
cd website_folderand then run theducommand again.
Summary
The du command is the most precise tool for managing your mybox storage limits. By limiting the depth of the search and using human-readable units, you can quickly locate large backups or log files that may be consuming unnecessary space.