Why is my fresh Linux Mint installation eating up space?

December 29, 2025 3 answers
Asked by TechiePotato123
I just installed Linux Mint on my old laptop, which has limited storage (64GB total). Initially, after the fresh installation of the latest Cinnamon version, I had around 45GB of free space, assuming that about 20GB for the system seemed a bit high but acceptable. I've disabled Flatpak updates and Timeshift, but when I booted up today, I noticed I only have 38GB available. What application could be causing this unexpected decrease in available space, and how do I disable it? It's a clean installation with no additional software yet!

Answers

LightweightFan23
For a laptop with limited space, you might consider switching to a lighter distro like Q4OS or something similar, just for better performance.

OldSchoolUser: I still have about 45GB left, so I donโ€™t really see the need to switch if everything runs smoothly on my current setup.

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DiskSpaceGuru56
You might want to check the log files and the journal in /var/log. With such a small drive, it could help to turn off or reduce logging, or even limit the journal size.

CuriousCoder99: That makes sense! Iโ€™ve seen others mention logging issues too. Sometimes something can get stuck logging errors continuously, which might fill up space fast.

DataSaver88: I followed your advice, and now I'm down to 29GB! Got any other recommendations?

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SpaceAnalyzer101
Try using space analysis tools to see what's consuming your disk space. You can check out https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.gnome.baobab for an app that can help you with that!

ResolvedUser: Thanks for the tip, but it turns out my issue was related to Timeshift and logging anyway.

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