Output of quota command:

[The output below assumes a disk quota of 1 GB. ] 

Disk quotas for user  (uid ):
                 Space used (Megabytes)           Number of Files               
Area             Usage   Quota   Limit  Expires   Usage   Quota   Limit  Expires
--------------  ------  ------  ------  -------  ------  ------  ------  -------
Shell/Web/Mail     5.8  1024.0  1075.2              314  200000  210000         
   Shell & Web     5.6       -  1075.0              314       -  210000         
   Mail            0.2       -  1069.6                0       -  209686

- The first line is the combined numbers for all file systems.
- The second line is usage on the shell and web file system.
- The third line is usage on the mail file system.

"Space" is measured in Megabytes. Usage is the amount currently used.
"Quota" is the amount of space you have purchased (including the allocation that is included with your account).
In the top line, "Limit" is the hard quota, which is currently 5% more than the amount of space purchased. In the other lines, "Limit" is the difference between the top-line Limit entry and the entries on the other lines.
"Expires" is the date on which the "Limit" is dropped to the level of "Quota".

The number of files is a system issue. It should not be a problem for any user. If you find that you are close to quota on the number of files please ask us to increase that number for you.

How we calculate disk space

Remember, there are two different file systems. Every minute, the system calculates your limit on each system. Here is the (somewhat non-intuitive) formula for figuring your current Limit (i.e. the amount of space available for you to use) on each server: 


            L1 = L - U + U1

where
L is your actual quota (that is, the combined limit on both servers,
U is your combined usage (on both servers), and
U1 is your current usage on server1.
So (using arbitrary numbers), if you have a 75 MB quota and 12 MB on the mail system and 18 in your home and web directory spaces, your limit on the mail system is 
          L1 = L - U + U1
             = 85 - 30 + 12
             = 67

(See that 85? You're below quota, so you have the 10 MB margin available.)
So your limit on the mail system is 67 MB.
(In case you're wondering, we never let your limit on either server go below 0.)

On the home-and-web file system, your limit is 

           L2 = 85 - 30 + 18
              = 73

Obviously, you can't use both 67 MB on the mail system and 73 in your home directory without going over quota. If you try, you'll exceed the hard limit and you'll have problems and may lose data.