reporting file/folder size for use in script

[pendal]

I am working on a shell script that will notify me when a specific file folder reaches a certain capacity.

In this case I would like to email myself when the folder reaches 4.5GB

i was hoping to use the du command, but how do use the output of the du command inside the script?

i.e. if i run the du command

du /path/to/dir/

that will report

24431424            /path/to/dir/

how can I get the du command to return just the size of the folder and not the rest of the information?

thanks,
-C

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

du  /path/to/dir | cut -f 1

You can use -m option with du for output in MB. Check manual of du.
man du

[pendal]

excellent .. the | cut -f 1 command was exactly what I was looking for.

[pendal]

new problem with du has arisen.

a user has thrown me for a loop and created a directory within the directory i am trying to monitor

i am using the following command

du -m /path/to/dir | cut -f 1

that returns the total amount of megabytes used by the folder.
however, if there is a folder within that folder .. it sends my two lines of data.
one for each directory involved.

what command can I run that returns just the amount of MB used by the folder in question .. regardless of it's contents??

i tried the -c command for a grand total .. but that outputs three lines of info.

thanks,
-chris

[Cabhan]

The "-s" flag is what you're looking for:

       -s, --summarize
              display only a total for each argument

[wje_lf]

Have you tried looking at the du man page and reading what the "-s" option does? This might be exactly what you need.

[pendal]

ahh yes .. .the -s command.

I'm sorry for wasting time. I only is the -S in the man docs and missed the -s.

I guess that's what happens when you are debugging code at 4:00pm on a friday afternoon.

thanks though .. it's working perfectly now.

-chris