Space Usage

Space Usage

Space on Nyx is not inexhaustible (what else is new). This file details what is considered acceptable and unacceptable usage of disk space. It also explains what will happen to your files if you don't follow these guidelines!

As stated in the "welcome" mail message, 500k is the recommended limit . This should be fine for keeping the small amount of configuration files that are typically needed. Web space is limited to 2 MB .

Your personal dir is for convenience only. It is NOT meant for you to keep all your worldly files. Nyx is not your personal closet, to store unneeded files.

Nyx does have "temporary" file space -- make yourself a directory in /nyx/temp1 by running /nyx/bin/mktemp. An easy way to make and use this directory is to use the 'ct' and 't' options in the 'u'nix file menu. The first creates it (do only once) and 't' moves you to that directory (do before ftp'ing, etc.).

[Note: do NOT use /tmp, /usr/tmp, or /nyx/tmp -- User files in there are subject to INSTANT removal (indeed, there is an hourly job that removes files from there). These directories are only to be used by programs like editors, mailers, etc. for their own short-lived temporary files.]

Your temporary dir (that you create with the 'mktemp' program) is where you should put large files, such as files you've ftp'd but haven't downloaded yet (just cd there before starting ftp). Users working on projects for Nyx itself (installing new software) can get a dir in /nyx/projects by asking for one.

As the name suggests, temporary space is for *temporary* material, not items you want to keep forever. Files in the temp dir are wiped out automatically after a certain number of days.

Note that you can find out how much space you use via the 'du' and 'du2' options in the status menu ('du' and 'du -a' commands from the shell). A periodic list of 'pigs' may also be posted. You'll probably get nasty mail if you show up on this list.

Mail.

Read your mail immediately, or at least save it off the mail spool to your own directory. Do NOT send large amounts of data by mail (either sending or receiving). Do not use mail as a replacement for 'ftp'. Do not join mailing list if you aren't going to read it daily.

Mail is subject to removal -- and note this is NEW mail, not old i.e., "saved" mail (which comes under the heading of home directory). If you join a mailing list, post a note to nyx.misc asking if others are also on it; if a few people get it, I'll make a newsgroup for it and each reader can drop off the list (so Nyx gets one copy instead of N).

With all that in mind, here is The Policy:

Home directories:

If you exceed 300k in your home directory, all your files (ALL of them) will be wiped out. This policy has become necessary since users ignored the voluntary restrictions previously imposed, and continually filled up the disk. When the disk fills up it locks up everyone's directory.

When space gets tight, as it inevitably does, users with the largest amount of space will get the deleted until we have enough space left.

Temporary directories:

To avoid file buildup, files older than 10 days will be automatically removed from the temp dir (/nyx/temp1). This is done automatically once a day. If space gets tight (>90% full) The admins will do whatever is necessary to get sufficient free space. (E.g., wiping out all the files in the N largest directories.)

Do not try to circumvent this, or you will lose the temp dir privilege.

Users working on projects can get a directory in /nyx/projects; tell us which project and we'll make the directory.

Files in /tmp, /usr/tmp, /var/tmp, /nyx/tmp are subject to instant removal; in practice, files are removed by a job every 4 hours and directories are removed hourly. Don't use them for your own files, period.

Incoming mail ("mail spool") file:

Any mailbox larger than 1Mb is subject to removal if the last read date is more than a day ago OR if space is very tight (in which case it is subject to instant removal).

Any mailbox larger than 50k and unread for 3 days is subject to removal.

Any mailbox larger than 10k and unread for 7 days is subject to removal.

Any mail file that is deleted will be replaced with a mail message containing the list of users the mail was from (generated automatically via the Unix 'from' command). Your mail will not be saved anywhere else.

General guidelines to keep your usage down: