lithoeme

Posted on Jan 5

Clean Your Linux Device

#linux #ubuntu #terminal

Use these commands to clean your linux device and get back to what it is you like to do. (Unless you like to clean linux systems; then please drop a comment below :D)

1. Remove Unnecessary Packages

Use the following commands to remove unused packages and their dependencies:

Remove packages that are no longer required:
```
 sudo apt autoremove
```
Remove unused packages and old dependencies (on Debian-based systems):
```
 sudo apt-get clean
 sudo apt-get autoclean
```
Clean up package cache:
```
 sudo apt-get clean
```

2. Clear System Logs

System logs can consume significant space. You can truncate or delete logs:

Clear the journal logs (on systemd systems):
```
 sudo journalctl --vacuum-size=100M
```
Clear old log files:
```
 sudo rm -rf /var/log/*
```

3. Delete Unused Temporary Files

Clean up temporary files that are no longer needed:

Use tmpwatch (if installed) to clean temporary files in /tmp:
```
 sudo tmpwatch --mtime 24 /tmp
```
Alternatively, clear /tmp manually:
```
 sudo rm -rf /tmp/*
```

4. Find and Remove Large Files

Use the find command to locate and delete large files that are taking up space:

List files larger than 1GB:
```
 sudo find / -type f -size +1G
```

Delete files over a specific size:

 sudo find /path/to/folder -type f -size +500M -exec rm -f {} \;

5. Clean Package Cache

If you've installed and updated many packages, cached files can build up over time:

Clean package manager cache (for apt):
```
 sudo apt-get clean
```
For dnf (on Fedora/RHEL-based systems):
```
 sudo dnf clean all
```

6. Check for Large Directories

Use du to find large directories and identify where space is being used:

Check the largest directories in your home folder:
```
 du -h --max-depth=1 ~/
```

7. Remove Old Snapshots (if using LVM or Snap)

If you're using LVM, delete old snapshots:

List LVM snapshots:
```
 sudo lvs
```

Remove a snapshot:

 sudo lvremove /dev/mapper/your-snapshot

If using snap, clean up unused snap versions:

   sudo snap list --all
   sudo snap remove <snap-name> --revision=<revision-number>

8. Check for Orphaned Packages (Optional)

Use tools like deborphan to find and remove orphaned libraries:

Install deborphan:
```
 sudo apt install deborphan
```
List orphaned libraries:
```
 deborphan
```

Remove orphaned libraries:

 sudo apt-get remove --purge $(deborphan)

By following these steps, you can clean up unnecessary files and open up space on your Linux device.

edit: tmpwatch deprecated.

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