# Message trying to list contents of directory

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/message-trying-to-list-contents-of-directory/156837>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [October 19, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/message-trying-to-list-contents-of-directory/156837 "2005-10-19T07:10:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sallender](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/sallender/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@sallender](https://community.unix.com/u/sallender)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/message-trying-to-list-contents-of-directory/156837/1 "2005-10-19T07:10:06Z")

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I'm getting this return whenever I try to do anything on a directory

root# ls -al /directory

ls: .: Value too large to be stored in data type.  
total 0

I can change directory down two levels but can not list contents of the root of this directory. ANy one seen this?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Awadhesh](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/awadhesh/32/232_2.png) [@Awadhesh](https://community.unix.com/u/Awadhesh)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/message-trying-to-list-contents-of-directory/156837/2 "2005-10-19T08:22:15Z")

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go to link:  
[http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-utils/2004-04/msg00069.html](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-utils/2004-04/msg00069.html)

Awadhesh