The error OSError: [Errno 28] No space left on device occurs when Python tries to write to disk but the storage is full. This can happen when saving files, writing logs, downloading large datasets, or handling temporary files.
1. Common Causes and Fixes
Cause 1: Disk is Completely Full
Your system or partition has no free space left.
Solution: Check disk usage using:
df -h
This will show how much space is available. If your / or /home partition is at 100% usage, you need to free up space.
How to free up space:
- Delete unnecessary files:
rm -rf /path/to/unwanted/files - Clear system logs:
sudo journalctl --vacuum-size=500M # Reduce logs to 500MB - Remove cached files:
sudo apt-get clean # On Ubuntu/Debian sudo yum clean all # On RHEL/CentOS
Cause 2: Large Temporary Files Are Filling Up Storage
Temporary files (e.g., logs, cached files, downloads) may consume all space.
Solution: Clear temporary files:
rm -rf /tmp/*
For Python, manually delete large temp files:
import tempfile
tempfile.tempdir = None # Reset temp directory
Cause 3: Running Out of Inodes
Even if you have free space, your system might have no inodes left (small storage units for files).
Solution: Check inode usage:
df -i
If inodes are 100% full, delete unnecessary small files:
find /var/log -type f -delete
Cause 4: Disk Quota Exceeded
If you’re on a shared server or cloud VM, your user may have a quota limit.
Solution: Check quota:
quota -s
If you’re over the limit, request more space or delete files.
Cause 5: A Process is Consuming Too Much Disk Space
A running process might be writing large logs or using up all available storage.
Solution: Find large files in real-time:
du -ah / | sort -rh | head -10 # Shows the top 10 largest files
If a file is growing uncontrollably, stop the process:
ps aux --sort=-%mem | head # Find large processes
kill -9 <PID> # Replace <PID> with process ID
Cause 6: Docker Containers or Virtual Machines Are Taking Space
If you use Docker, old containers and images can consume space.
Solution: Clean up Docker:
docker system prune -a
2. Summary of Fixes
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Disk full | Delete unnecessary files (rm -rf /path) |
| Temporary files taking space | Clear /tmp/ (rm -rf /tmp/*) |
| No inodes left | Check with df -i, delete small files |
| Disk quota exceeded | Check with quota -s, free up space |
| Large processes consuming storage | Find with `du -ah / |
| Docker consuming space | Run docker system prune -a |