On ZimaOS 1.5.4, one community user found deleted files occupying space inside hidden .trash folders even when those files did not appear in the Files app Trash view. Their service-stop-and-delete workaround restored normal Trash display temporarily, but the problem returned after later reboots.
That makes the post useful as a diagnostic record, not as a permanent current fix. ZimaOS is now on a newer release line, and recursively deleting hidden trash directories is destructive: anything still needed in those folders will be permanently removed.
First Confirm That Trash Is Actually Holding the Space
The source user checked:
du -sh /var/lib/casaos_data/.media/*/.trashThat is a better first step than deleting anything because it asks a read-only question: how much space is present in each mounted drive's Trash directory? The broader NAS recycle-bin space guide explains why deleted data can remain referenced by recycle bins, snapshots or other storage layers.
What the 1.5.4 Workaround Actually Did
The community sequence stopped icewhale-files and SMB, removed the affected .trash directory, restarted the services and ran sync. The poster reported that new deletions then appeared correctly in Trash, but only for a few days before the symptom returned.
That result matters: it proves the workaround cleared the immediate state for that installation, but it does not prove the root cause was fixed. The user also saw the behavior on an internally mounted NTFS drive, so the thread did not establish Btrfs as the cause.
Why rm -R .trash Should Be the Last Step
Deleting the hidden Trash folder bypasses the safety value of a recycle bin. Before doing it, inspect the contents, restore anything important, confirm backups, and make sure you are operating on the intended mounted drive. A typo in a root shell can affect the wrong path.
If the visible files are gone but free space is still not returning, use the layered checks in NAS deleted-space troubleshooting instead of assuming Trash is the only holder.
Version Boundary: This Was a ZimaOS 1.5.4 Case
The Trash feature originally arrived in ZimaOS 1.3.1, with automatic cleanup and restore through Files. The ZimaOS 1.3.1 release notes documents that intended behavior.
The current 1.7.1 release notes include several file-service fixes, but they do not explicitly state that this specific hidden-Trash-display bug was fixed. Therefore, do not claim that upgrading guarantees resolution. Update first for current fixes and security, then reproduce the symptom before using an old workaround.
A Safer Order of Operations
- Update to a current stable ZimaOS release.
- Confirm the affected drive and record free space.
- Measure the hidden
.trashfolders without changing them. - Restore any deleted files you still need.
- Check snapshots, open files and other retention layers if space still does not match.
- Only then consider destructive Trash cleanup, with a backup available.
