# SpaceKnife

> SpaceKnife is a free, open-source (MIT) desktop disk usage analyzer for Windows 10+ and Linux. It scans a drive or folder and shows what fills it as a live, nested treemap, with fast parallel and NTFS MFT scans, snapshot comparison, a filter language and safe cleanup. It is an independent project inspired by SpaceSniffer and is not affiliated with SpaceSniffer or its author.

The current release, 0.3.0, is a pre-release: the installers are not code-signed yet and have been tested on Windows 11 and Ubuntu 22.04.

## Facts

- Name: SpaceKnife
- Type: desktop application; disk usage / disk space analyzer with a treemap visualization
- Platforms: Windows 10 and 11 (x64); Linux x64 (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, RHEL 9+, Fedora; AppImage for other distributions with glibc 2.34+). No macOS build yet.
- License: MIT. Free for personal and commercial use. No account, no telemetry, works offline.
- Interface languages: English and Simplified Chinese (follows the system language).
- Latest version: 0.3.0 (pre-release), published 2026-10-19
- Website: https://spaceknife.kaltsit.dev/ (English), https://spaceknife.kaltsit.dev/zh/ (Simplified Chinese)
- Source code: https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife
- Author: DuskXi (https://github.com/DuskXi)
- Relationship to SpaceSniffer: an independent project inspired by SpaceSniffer; not affiliated with SpaceSniffer or its author.

## Features

- Live nested treemap: WebGL rendering that fills in while the scan runs, with zoom animation, hover details, detail levels and free and unknown space drawn as blocks.
- Fast scans: A native Rust extension walks folders in parallel; on Windows a quick scan reads the NTFS Master File Table directly.
- Calm on your disk: Cap the disk load the scan causes (max, balanced, quiet, idle or custom); it backs off when other programs need the disk.
- Live monitoring: After the scan, changes keep flowing in and changed blocks flash, so the picture never goes stale.
- A real filter language: Filter by name, type, size, dates, attributes and tags, and combine them; compatible with SpaceSniffer-style filters.
- Snapshots and comparison: Every scan is saved; compare any two, or a snapshot with now, and see exactly what grew, shrank, appeared or vanished.
- Safe cleanup: Collect items in a delete basket; they go to the recycle bin by default and can be restored. System folders are protected.
- Command palette: Ctrl+K searches the whole scan by name and runs any command, without leaving the keyboard.
- Export and command line: Export reports as CSV, JSON, HTML and more, or scan, compare and export from a terminal.

## Good fit

- Finding what fills a drive or a folder on Windows or Linux, visually, and freeing space.
- Large drives: parallel scanning in native code, and an NTFS Master File Table quick scan on Windows.
- Scanning without slowing the computer down: the disk load of the scan can be capped.
- Tracking how disk usage changes over time: snapshots after every scan and snapshot comparison.
- Careful cleanup: delete basket, recycle bin by default, undo, protected system folders.
- People who want a free, open-source tool in the same category as WinDirStat, WizTree, TreeSize, SpaceSniffer, QDirStat, Filelight or GNOME Disk Usage Analyzer (Baobab).

## Not a fit (yet)

- macOS: no build yet.
- Headless servers: SpaceKnife is a desktop application; its command line (spaceknife-backend scan / snapshot / run) ships inside the desktop packages.
- Managed or enterprise deployment that requires code-signed installers: the installers are not code-signed yet.
- Production-critical use: the current release is a pre-release, tested on Windows 11 and Ubuntu 22.04.

## Download

- [Windows installer (x64, NSIS)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/SpaceKnife-0.3.0-Setup-x64.exe): SpaceKnife-0.3.0-Setup-x64.exe, 135 MB, SHA-256 a155931fc38d92d483957c010a4f0eb83fd5be89a29e184ed6a357a2efc3a1c9
- [Ubuntu / Debian package (.deb)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/spaceknife_0.3.0_amd64.deb): spaceknife_0.3.0_amd64.deb, 131 MB, SHA-256 e6ed0520bb1534e805d925d5376f10d3cfd18709bab97e0174ffa83f7976c6d7
- [RHEL / Fedora package (.rpm)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/spaceknife-0.3.0.x86_64.rpm): spaceknife-0.3.0.x86_64.rpm, 118 MB, SHA-256 ddda0eb6126d747f41e4fab220d6ba390cbbe80b1b5724e9f4eb9f2d198bb379
- [AppImage (any x64 Linux, glibc 2.34+)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/SpaceKnife-0.3.0-x86_64.AppImage): SpaceKnife-0.3.0-x86_64.AppImage, 164 MB, SHA-256 78c10339906969056579330672e9d4a72b5af4af6ee167e1093b832145c9f78e
- [All releases and release notes](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases)

## Documentation

- [README (English)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/blob/main/README.md)
- [README（简体中文）](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/blob/main/README.zh-CN.md)
- [Filter syntax (Chinese)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/blob/main/docs/filter-syntax.md)
- [Packaging and installers (Chinese)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/blob/main/docs/packaging.md)
- [License (MIT)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/blob/main/LICENSE)

## Screens

- The whole drive at a glance: Block area is disk usage, nested folder by folder. Hover any block for its size, type and dates; the side panel lists the largest items.
- Find it with a filter: :class:Video;>1gb keeps every video over 1 GB lit and dims the rest. The matches are listed beside the treemap, sorted by size.
- What changed since last month?: Compare two snapshots: orange grew, blue shrank, new and deleted items are marked, and SpaceKnife estimates when free space runs out.
- Keyboard first: The command palette searches every file and folder of the scan by name and runs any command.

## Open source

SpaceKnife is MIT-licensed. The scanner, the treemap layout and the filter engine run in a Python backend with a native Rust extension; the Electron interface talks to it over a documented WebSocket protocol.

- No account, no telemetry: everything runs locally on your computer.
- Python 3.12 backend, Rust (PyO3) native scanner, Electron + React + WebGL interface.
- More than a thousand automated tests on Windows and Linux.

## Questions and answers

**Is SpaceKnife free?**

Yes. SpaceKnife is free and open source under the MIT license, for personal and commercial use.

**Is it related to SpaceSniffer?**

No. SpaceKnife is an independent project inspired by SpaceSniffer; it is not affiliated with SpaceSniffer or its author.

**Which systems does it run on?**

Windows 10 and 11 (x64), and x64 Linux: Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian, RHEL 9+, Fedora, or any distribution through the AppImage. macOS is not available yet.

**Does it send my data anywhere?**

No. SpaceKnife has no account and no telemetry; scans, snapshots and settings stay on your computer.

**Can it delete the wrong file?**

Deleting moves items to the recycle bin by default and can be undone; system and program folders are protected, and permanent deletion asks first.

**Why does the quick scan ask for administrator rights?**

Reading the NTFS Master File Table needs administrator rights, so a small read-only helper asks once. The regular parallel scan needs no special rights.

## 简体中文

> SpaceKnife 用实时树图展示磁盘被什么占满：并行扫描与 NTFS MFT 快速扫描、快照对比、过滤语言和安全清理。免费开源（MIT），支持 Windows 10+ 与 Linux。

看清磁盘被什么占满。SpaceKnife 把每个文件夹、每个文件画成大小与占用成正比的方块，边扫描边显示。一眼找到最占地方的东西，看出这个月多了什么，再放心地清理。

### 功能

- 实时嵌套树图：WebGL 渲染，边扫边画；缩放动画、悬停详情、细节层级，可用空间与未知空间也画成方块。
- 扫描快：Rust 原生扩展并行遍历目录；Windows 上可直接读取 NTFS 主文件表（MFT）快速扫描。
- 不拖慢电脑：可以限制扫描自身造成的磁盘负载（极速、均衡、安静、空闲或自定义），别的程序用磁盘时自动让路。
- 实时监控：扫描完成后继续跟踪文件变化，变化的方块会闪烁，画面不会过时。
- 真正的过滤语言：按名称、类型、大小、时间、属性、标签过滤，可以组合；与 SpaceSniffer 的过滤写法兼容。
- 快照与对比：每次扫描都会保存；任意两次对比，或与「现在」对比，清楚看到什么变大、变小、新增或消失。
- 安全清理：先放进删除篮，默认移到回收站，可以撤销；系统和程序目录受保护。
- 命令面板：Ctrl+K 按名称搜索整个扫描结果，也能执行任何命令，不用离开键盘。
- 导出与命令行：导出 CSV、JSON、HTML 等报告，也可以在终端里扫描、对比和导出。

### 界面

- 整块磁盘，一目了然：方块的面积就是占用，按文件夹层层嵌套。悬停任意方块查看大小、类型和时间，右侧列出最大的子项。
- 用过滤找到它：:class:视频;>1gb 只亮出 1 GB 以上的视频，其余变暗；匹配结果按大小列在树图旁边。
- 这个月多了什么？：对比两次快照：橙色是增长，蓝色是减少，新增和删除的项都有标记，还会估算可用空间什么时候耗尽。
- 键盘优先：命令面板按名称搜索扫描结果里的每个文件和文件夹（支持拼音首字母），也能执行任何命令。

### 开源

SpaceKnife 使用 MIT 许可证。扫描、树图布局和过滤引擎运行在 Python 后端和 Rust 原生扩展里，Electron 界面通过有文档的 WebSocket 协议与后端通信。

- 不需要账号，没有遥测：一切都在你的电脑上本地运行。
- Python 3.12 后端、Rust（PyO3）原生扫描器、Electron + React + WebGL 界面。
- 在 Windows 和 Linux 上有上千项自动化测试。

### 常见问题

**SpaceKnife 免费吗？**

免费。SpaceKnife 以 MIT 许可证开源，个人和商业使用都可以。

**它和 SpaceSniffer 有关系吗？**

没有。SpaceKnife 受 SpaceSniffer 启发，是独立开发的项目，与 SpaceSniffer 及其作者没有任何关联。

**支持哪些系统？**

Windows 10 与 11（x64），以及 x64 Linux：Ubuntu 22.04+、Debian、RHEL 9+、Fedora，其他发行版可以用 AppImage。暂不支持 macOS。

**会上传我的数据吗？**

不会。SpaceKnife 不需要账号，也没有遥测；扫描结果、快照和设置都留在你的电脑上。

**会不会误删文件？**

删除默认移到回收站，可以撤销；系统和程序目录受保护，永久删除前会再确认。

**为什么快速扫描要管理员权限？**

读取 NTFS 主文件表需要管理员权限，所以一个只读的小助手会请求一次。普通的并行扫描不需要特殊权限。

## 下载 / Download

- [Windows installer (x64, NSIS)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/SpaceKnife-0.3.0-Setup-x64.exe): SpaceKnife-0.3.0-Setup-x64.exe, 135 MB, SHA-256 a155931fc38d92d483957c010a4f0eb83fd5be89a29e184ed6a357a2efc3a1c9
- [Ubuntu / Debian package (.deb)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/spaceknife_0.3.0_amd64.deb): spaceknife_0.3.0_amd64.deb, 131 MB, SHA-256 e6ed0520bb1534e805d925d5376f10d3cfd18709bab97e0174ffa83f7976c6d7
- [RHEL / Fedora package (.rpm)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/spaceknife-0.3.0.x86_64.rpm): spaceknife-0.3.0.x86_64.rpm, 118 MB, SHA-256 ddda0eb6126d747f41e4fab220d6ba390cbbe80b1b5724e9f4eb9f2d198bb379
- [AppImage (any x64 Linux, glibc 2.34+)](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases/download/v0.3.0/SpaceKnife-0.3.0-x86_64.AppImage): SpaceKnife-0.3.0-x86_64.AppImage, 164 MB, SHA-256 78c10339906969056579330672e9d4a72b5af4af6ee167e1093b832145c9f78e
- [All releases / 全部版本](https://github.com/DuskXi/SpaceKnife/releases)