Cannot write new files to linux

A frustrating issue!

There are several reasons why you might not be able to write new files to a Linux system. Here are some common causes and potential solutions:

  1. File system is full: Check the available disk space using df -h or df -i (for inode usage). If the file system is full, you won't be able to write new files. You can free up space by deleting files or expanding the file system.
  2. File system is read-only: Check the file system's mount options using mount or lsblk. If the file system is mounted read-only, you won't be able to write new files. You can remount the file system in read-write mode using mount -o remount,rw /path/to/fs.
  3. Permissions issues: Check the permissions of the directory where you're trying to write files. Make sure you have write permissions. You can use ls -ld /path/to/directory to check the permissions. If you don't have write permissions, you can use chmod or chown to change the permissions.
  4. SELinux or AppArmor issues: If you're running SELinux or AppArmor, these security frameworks can restrict file system access. Check the SELinux or AppArmor logs for errors or use sealert or aa-debug to troubleshoot the issue.
  5. File system corruption: If the file system is corrupted, you might not be able to write new files. Run fsck or e2fsck (depending on the file system type) to check and repair the file system.
  6. Disk errors: Check for disk errors using smartctl or badblocks. If you find disk errors, you might need to replace the disk or run a disk repair tool.
  7. System configuration issues: Check the system's configuration files, such as /etc/fstab or /etc/mount.conf, to ensure that the file system is properly mounted.

To troubleshoot the issue, you can try the following:

  1. Run touch /path/to/new/file to create a new file. If this fails, it might indicate a file system or permissions issue.
  2. Run echo "Hello World" > /path/to/new/file to write a small file. If this fails, it might indicate a file system or permissions issue.
  3. Check the system logs for errors related to file system access or permissions.
  4. Try writing a file to a different directory or file system to isolate the issue.

If none of these solutions work, please provide more details about your system, including the Linux distribution, file system type, and any relevant error messages.