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Empty a file without deleting it

destructiveFilesystemalle
Adjust the values, the command updates live
user@server
truncate -s 0 -- /var/www/vhosts/example.com/logs/error_log

Truncates the file to 0 bytes. Unlike deleting it, the file keeps its owner and permissions, and a service currently writing to it simply keeps writing. The disk space is freed immediately.

Note: The previous content is gone. If it is still needed, copy or compress it first.

Also searched as

  • empty a log file
  • truncate a large log file to zero
  • clear file contents but keep the file
  • clear error_log

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Read first, then run.

The commands on myline.de act directly on servers, files and databases. A wrong path or placeholder can delete data irreversibly or make a server unreachable.

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  • Understand what a command does before running it, and check every placeholder.
  • Make a backup first and, if possible, try it on a test system.
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