Troubleshooting • SSH failure because overlay filesystem full

SSH connect failed on my filesystem. Time out on laptop, Terminus app indicated initial connection but closed with end of file error.

I used claude AI to figure out what's wrong. I got some good advice. Maybe you all are familiar this. I wasn't

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I'm glad we identified the likely issue! With Raspberry Pis using overlay filesystems, filled storage is a common problem that manifests exactly as you described.

Since you can't SSH in, your options are:

1. If you have physical access:
- Connect a monitor and keyboard
- Log in directly
- Run `df -h` to confirm the space issue
- Clear logs with `sudo journalctl --vacuum-size=10M`

2. If you're using a standard Raspberry Pi OS with overlay:
- Try rebooting the Pi (if you can access it)
- Many overlay configurations reset temporary storage on reboot

3. For a longer-term solution after regaining access:
- Configure smaller log rotation settings
- Increase your overlay partition size
- Set up automated cleanup scripts

This is a common maintenance issue with Pis in production environments. Once you get back in, you might want to implement monitoring to alert you before the storage fills completely next time.

Statistics: Posted by heikki_valisuo — Tue Apr 29, 2025 9:44 am

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