Clean Your Linux Device

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.