/tmp is 100% full

[gab_in]

Hi,

In our RHEL 4 update 6 Server , the /tmp is showing 100% full even after we deleted everything under the same.

Could you help why this is showing 100% ?

Thanks
Gab

[Jeeshan]

what is your /tmp size or post your df -h outputs.

what is running on that server?

[Matti_Kurkela]

When you deleted the files, some processes were still holding them open. They are no longer visible, but will be deleted only when those processes close the files. This is normal unix-style behaviour.

To find the correct processes, use the lsof command:

lsof +aL1 /tmp

This will identify the processes holding the deleted files on the /tmp filesystem. You can then stop and restart those processes (or otherwise make the processes close their files) to get the disk space freed.

For the future:
Before deleting large files from /tmp, use the "fuser" command to see if any process is still using them.

MK

[Ivan Ferreira]

Matti is correct. With lsof, you can see a deleted file which space is not reclaimed yet because the process has the file open.

COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
java 7699 oas 22u REG 253,1 856117248 59 /tmp/dat000407699 (deleted)