SQLITE_FULL: database or disk is full

This error occurs when SQLite can't write because the disk is full or database has reached a size limit. Learn how to free space and manage database size.

The database or disk is full error means SQLite can't allocate more space for your database.

Understanding the Error

SQLITE_FULL: database or disk is full

This can mean:

The filesystem has no free space
A disk quota has been reached
The database hit a configured size limit

Common Causes

1. Disk Actually Full

BASH

# Check disk space
df -h /path/to/database

# Output shows 100% used
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1       20G   20G     0 100% /

2. User Quota Exceeded

Hosting environments often limit disk usage per user.

3. max_page_count Limit

SQLite can be configured with a maximum size:

SQL

PRAGMA max_page_count = 1000;  -- Limits database size

4. Temp Directory Full

SQLite uses temp files for large operations:

BASH

df -h /tmp

How to Fix It

Solution 1: Free Disk Space

BASH

# Find large files
du -sh /* | sort -h

# Clear logs, caches, etc.
rm -rf /var/log/*.old

Solution 2: Vacuum the Database

Reclaim unused space:

SQL

VACUUM;

This rebuilds the database, removing empty pages.

Solution 3: Remove Unnecessary Data

SQL

-- Delete old records
DELETE FROM logs WHERE created_at < date('now', '-30 days');

-- Then vacuum
VACUUM;

Solution 4: Increase max_page_count

SQL

-- Check current limit
PRAGMA max_page_count;

-- Increase it (0 = unlimited)
PRAGMA max_page_count = 0;

Solution 5: Use a Different Temp Directory

SQL

PRAGMA temp_store_directory = '/path/with/space';

Or set environment variable:

BASH

export SQLITE_TMPDIR=/path/with/space

Monitoring Database Size

SQL

-- Database file size in pages
PRAGMA page_count;

-- Page size in bytes
PRAGMA page_size;

-- Calculate total size
SELECT page_count * page_size AS size_bytes FROM pragma_page_count(), pragma_page_size();

Best Practices

Monitor disk space proactively
Set up alerts before disk fills
Archive old data regularly
Run VACUUM periodically
Use separate partition for databases