topic Re: output from ls in Operating System - HP-UX

output from ls

Karl Myers_1 — Thu, 31 Oct 2002 20:13:06 GMT

what does the total refer to when using ls returns

total 8
file
file

Re: output from ls

John Palmer — Thu, 31 Oct 2002 20:17:15 GMT

Hi,

From 'man ls'

When an option is specified that results in a listing of directory and/or file sizes in bytes or blocks (such as the -s or -l (ell) option), a total count of blocks, including indirect blocks, is also printed at the beginning of the listing.

So it's the number of blocks occupied by the files/directories that were listed.

Regards,
John

Re: output from ls

James R. Ferguson — Thu, 31 Oct 2002 20:18:07 GMT

Hi:

The total number is the total number of blocks (512-bytes each) in the directory. Once allocated they are never deallocated, so if the total value is very large and the number of files in the directory very small, you know at one time that the directory was highly populated.

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: output from ls

James R. Ferguson — Thu, 31 Oct 2002 20:32:23 GMT

Hi (again):

Oops, John is correct. The non-shrinking number I was referring to was the size in bytes of the *directory*, not the "total" as I erroneously indicated. The total value is a block count as already noted.

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: output from ls

Karl Myers_1 — Thu, 31 Oct 2002 21:18:36 GMT

Thank you both for that.

Your time is appreciated.

Regards
KM