baobab

baobab [OPTIONS] [PATH...]

-h, --help
    Displays a help message and exits.


--version
    Shows the application's version information and exits.


--scan-folder=FOLDER
    Initiates a scan of the specified local folder. If not provided, it typically scans the user's home directory or the specified path.


--scan-remote=HOST
    Scans a remote host via SSH. The host should be specified in the format user@host or host.


--hide-hidden
    Excludes hidden files and directories (those starting with a dot) from the scan results.


--do-not-follow-symlinks
    Prevents the scanner from following symbolic links, treating them as files themselves rather than traversing their targets.


--display=DISPLAY
    Specifies the X display to use for the graphical interface, relevant in multi-display or remote X environments.

The baobab command, commonly known as the GNOME Disk Usage Analyzer, is a powerful graphical utility designed to help users understand and manage their disk space effectively. It provides an intuitive visual representation of disk usage, making it easy to identify large files, directories, and other data consuming significant storage.

Users can leverage baobab to scan local file systems, specific folders, or even remote servers via SSH, offering a comprehensive overview of storage allocation. The application displays data in various interactive formats, including a hierarchical tree map and a sunburst chart (ring chart), allowing for quick navigation and drill-down into specific directories. This visual approach greatly simplifies the process of freeing up disk space by highlighting areas where clutter has accumulated. Its integration with the GNOME desktop environment makes it a standard and accessible tool for disk management on Linux systems.

• GUI Dependency: Baobab is a graphical application and requires a running X server or Wayland compositor to function.
  
• Scan Time: Scanning very large file systems or slow remote connections can take a considerable amount of time.
  
• Permissions: The command needs appropriate read permissions for the directories and files it attempts to scan. Lack of permissions will result in incomplete or erroneous results.
  
• Remote Access: For remote scanning, SSH access must be properly configured, and the necessary SSH agent or password prompt might be required.

Baobab offers multiple interactive views to represent disk usage: a tree map (also known as a rectangle map or squarified treemap) where file sizes are proportional to rectangle areas, and a sunburst chart (or ring chart) which visually organizes directories as rings, with subdirectories as segments of those rings. Both views allow users to click and navigate deeper into the file structure.

A key feature of Baobab is its ability to scan disk usage on remote hosts via SSH. This allows administrators or users to analyze storage on servers or other networked machines without needing to be physically present or having a graphical environment running on the remote system, streamlining remote disk management tasks.

Baobab originated as part of the GNOME project, initially known as `GnomeVFS Disk Usage Analyzer`. It has been a standard utility within the GNOME desktop environment since its early versions, providing users with an accessible and intuitive way to manage disk space. Over its development, it has evolved with improvements in scanning performance, interface design, and support for modern file systems and remote access protocols, solidifying its role as a key tool for system maintenance.

du(1), df(1), ncdu(1), tree(1)