CI "tar: write error: No space left on device" - Disk Full on Extract
A tar extract or create failed partway through with ENOSPC - the runner’s disk filled while writing. Archive operations write a lot of data fast, so they are often the first thing to surface a full disk.
What this error means
tar aborts mid-operation with tar: write error: No space left on device, often leaving a partially-extracted tree. df -h shows the filesystem at 100%. Re-running after cleanup, or on a larger-disk runner, succeeds unchanged.
tar: app/dist/bundle.js: Wrote only 4096 of 10240 bytes
tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors
tar: write error: No space left on deviceCommon causes
The extracted/created archive exceeds free space
Large archives expand to more than the disk holds - especially when both the archive and its expanded contents sit on the same filesystem during extraction.
Accumulated caches and artifacts left little room
On a reused runner, prior caches, layers, and artifacts already consumed most of the disk, so a normal extract tips it over.
How to fix it
See what filled the disk
Check free space and the biggest consumers before deleting.
df -h
du -xh / 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | head -20Reclaim space or extract elsewhere
- Prune caches, container data, and old artifacts to free room.
- Extract to a path on a larger volume, or delete the archive after extracting if both share a disk.
- Move archive-heavy jobs to a runner with a bigger disk.
How to prevent it
- Add a cleanup step before large extracts on reused runners.
- Keep archives and their expanded output on a disk sized for both.
- Monitor
df -hso disk pressure is caught before the extract fails.