Modify an /etc/quotas entry

To modify a disk quota, enter the appropriate information in the following fields.

Quota target

It specifies the user, group, or tree on which you want to impose restrictions. You can assign more than one quota to a user or group, but only one quota to a tree.

Quota target for a user quota

For a user quota, the target can be one of the following values:

a file or subdirectory whose UID matches the user
the user's user name, as defined in the /etc/passwd file or the NIS password map
the user's UID

The methods are equivalent, and inform the filer of the UID of the target. A file or directory is used only as the source of a UID; there are no quota implications for that file or directory. The UID of the user must not be 0.

Any file or subdirectory you use in the Quota Target field is referenced repeatedly throughout the life of the system, so if you use a path name, choose a path name that will last for as long as the user account remains on the system. For example, use a user's home directory for a user quota.

Quota target for a group quota

For a group quota, the target can be one of the following values:

a file or subdirectory whose GID matches the group
the group's name, as defined in the /etc/group file or the NIS group map
the group's GID

The methods are equivalent. A file or directory is used only as the source of a GID; there are no quota implications for that file or directory. The GID of the group must not be 0.

Quota target for a qtree

Specify the quota target for a tree quota by entering the complete path to the qtree. For example, if you want to specify quota limits for a qtree named news in the /vol/volume1 volume, enter /vol/volume1/news as the quota target.

Quota target for default quotas

Use an asterisk (*) in the Quota Target field to specify a default for the user or group quotas. (Defaults do not apply to tree quotas.) The default value applies to the following users or groups:

New users or groups that are created after the default entry has taken effect. For example, if the maximum disk space for default user quotas is 500 MB, any new user can use up to 500 MB of disk space.
Users or groups that are not explicitly displayed in the Quotas Editor window. For example, if the maximum disk space for default user quotas is 500 MB, users for whom you have not specified a user quota in this window can use up to 500 MB of disk space.

To override a default for a specific user or group, specify a quota for that user or group.

Type

It specifies whether the quota is for a user, group, or tree. For a user or group quota, you can specify that the quota is for a particular volume or for a particular tree.

Disk Space (G, M, K)

It specifies the maximum amount of disk space the quota target can use. For example, if the quota target can use 75 MB of disk space, enter 75M (with no space between 75 and M).

NOTE: Do not leave the Disk Space field blank. Otherwise, the filer interprets the blank field as white space, which causes the number you enter in the Files box not to work properly.

Files (G, M, K)

It specifies the maximum number of files the quota target can use. For example, if the quota target can use 76,800 files, enter 75K (with no space between 75 and K).

NOTE: In the Disk Space (G, M, K) and Files (G, M, K) fields, the K is equivalent to 1,024 bytes, M is equivalent to 2²⁰ bytes, and G is equivalent to 2³⁰ bytes.