ncdu VS SDelete

• User-friendly Interface
  Ncdu provides a text-based user interface which is easy to navigate and offers clear, color-coded disk usage visualization.
• Speed
  Ncdu is designed to be fast and efficient, able to quickly scan and index disk usage information even on large file systems.
• Low Resource Consumption
  The application consumes minimal system resources, making it suitable for use on systems with limited resources.
• Interactive
  Ncdu allows users to interactively browse through directories, delete files, and drill down to see detailed disk usage statistics.
• Portability
  Ncdu is available for multiple platforms, including Linux, BSD, macOS, and Windows, making it versatile across different environments.
• Open Source
  Being an open-source tool, users can freely inspect the code, suggest features, and contribute to the project.
• Remote System Compatibility
  Ncdu can be used over SSH, which makes it convenient for managing disk usage on remote servers.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited Advanced Features
  Ncdu primarily focuses on disk usage analysis and lacks some advanced features found in other tools such as detailed file metadata or advanced filtering options.
• Text-based Interface Limitation
  While the text-based interface is quick and efficient, it may not be as intuitive or visually appealing as GUI-based disk usage analyzers for some users.
• No Built-in Reporting
  Ncdu does not offer built-in functionality for generating comprehensive reports. Users have to manually compile data if detailed reports are needed.
• Potential Learning Curve
  Beginners or users unfamiliar with command-line tools may find it challenging to get started and utilize all of ncdu's features effectively.
• Lack of Detailed Visualization
  While ncdu offers a visual representation of disk usage, it doesn't provide more advanced visualizations like pie charts or graphs.

• Secure Deletion
  SDelete ensures that files are securely deleted by overwriting the data, making it extremely difficult to recover using standard data recovery tools.
• Freeware
  Available at no cost, SDelete provides a powerful tool for secure deletion without the need for a commercial license.
• Command-Line Utility
  SDelete can be operated from the command line, allowing for scripting and automation, which is particularly useful for advanced users and system administrators.
• File and Free Space Management
  In addition to securely deleting files, SDelete can also wipe free space on a disk, ensuring that remnants of previously deleted files are unrecoverable.
• Trusted Source
  Being part of the Sysinternals suite from Microsoft, SDelete is a trusted and reputable tool.

Possible disadvantages

• Complexity
  As a command-line tool, SDelete may not be user-friendly for individuals who are not comfortable using the command prompt or scripting.
• Performance Impact
  Securely deleting files and wiping free space can be a time-consuming process, particularly on large disks, potentially impacting system performance during operation.
• No Graphical Interface
  SDelete lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), which may deter less technical users from utilizing the tool.
• Limited to Windows
  SDelete is designed specifically for Windows operating systems, limiting its usability for users on other platforms like macOS or Linux.
• Potential for Misuse
  Given its powerful data destruction capabilities, there's a risk of accidental data loss if not used carefully, especially by inexperienced users.

ncdu - NCurses Disk Usage Utility - Linux TUI

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• Anthropic Cowork feature creates 10GB VM bundle on macOS without warning

  Something like https://dev.yorhel.nl/ncdu with ("brew install ncdu") is great if you are okay with the command line. It's very annoying to drill down in the Finder especially if it's hidden directories. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago

• How to clean your virtual server (VPS)

  For an even more detailed analysis, take a look at tools such as ncdu, a disk usage viewer in terminal mode. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago

• Ask HN: Interesting TUIs (text user interfaces), maybe forgotten ones?

  These certainly aren't forgotten, but I like: * `ranger` file manager: https://ranger.github.io/ * `ncdu` for visualising disk usage: https://dev.yorhel.nl/ncdu * `htop` process monitor: https://htop.dev/ I just find them very intuitive,... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

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• Keep your files safe. What can happen if you throw away a defective hard drive?

  What lessons can we take away from my story? They are, in fact, quite simple and obvious: merely deleting files and quick formatting is usually not enough when disposing of or selling hard drives. For more assurance, it’s better to... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago

• Hyper V VM full disk, won’t boot

  I assume you were using a dynamically expanding disk - if so just note it won't dynamically contract just by deleting files. To shrink the drive you will likely need to run sdelete -z on the drive inside the VM to clear the free space,... Source: over 3 years ago

• Does formatting a drive remove bitlocker encryption from formatted data?

  You can always download sdelete https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sdelete and do an overwrite pass just to be safe. It'll take a while but you can do other things while it's running. Source: over 3 years ago

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