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Running a python script to generate millions of empty text files just for fun on my Mint machine (18.1 Serena) before I wipe it.

Recently the script failed with this error:

OSError: [Errno 28] No space left on device: '1013162169.txt'

There is clearly memory and inode table space left available, and restarting the script running processes for a bit before throwing the error again.

$ df -i
Filesystem       Inodes    IUsed    IFree IUse% Mounted on
udev             194936      488   194448    1% /dev
tmpfs            205500      716   204784    1% /run
/dev/sda1      60563456 18707860 41855596   31% /
tmpfs            205500        1   205499    1% /dev/shm
tmpfs            205500        6   205494    1% /run/lock
tmpfs            205500       18   205482    1% /sys/fs/cgroup
cgmfs            205500       14   205486    1% /run/cgmanager/fs
tmpfs            205500        6   205494    1% /run/user/1000

$ df
Filesystem     1K-blocks     Used Available Use% Mounted on
udev             3831012        0   3831012   0% /dev
tmpfs             770428    17620    752808   3% /run
/dev/sda1      953630580 14641452 890524440   2% /
tmpfs            3852140        0   3852140   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs               5120        4      5116   1% /run/lock
tmpfs            3852140        0   3852140   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
cgmfs                100        0       100   0% /run/cgmanager/fs
tmpfs             770428        4    770424   1% /run/user/1000

Is there some other space constraint being run into here? The specific case is a meaningless script but I'm very curious about underlying cause.

Files are being created in /home/jon/test which is on sda1.

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  • 2
    Check your filesystem for constrains about the number of the files and/or directories in one directory Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 15:20
  • Do you have just the one filesystem? Where are the files being generated? Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 15:21
  • Added the full df outputs. They're being created in the directory the script runs in which is on sda1. Most of those 18 million inodes are files from this process. Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 15:29
  • 1
    @RomeoNinov ext4, which doesn't seem to have a limit defined per directory, and several billion for the whole system. Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 15:34
  • 3
    Looking at the the related questions (right-hand sidebar), it suggests you hit birthday paradox on the directory index, which uses a 32-bit hash table. unix.stackexchange.com/questions/222221/… Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 16:18

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