CCleaner equivalent for Linux?

[mingle]

Hi,

Being a Windows user too, I was wondering if there's a program similar to "CCleaner" (on Windows XP) for Linux?

For those not familiar with it, CCleaner tidies up temp files, logs, caches, the registry, etc.

Cheers,

Mike.

[iaculallad]

That can be done using the terminal:

sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

[jimmy the saint]

does that do more than just stray packages? I was under the impression that apt only dealt with packages, not with temp, log, cache and other files that can add up over time.

[Tuxoid]

click: System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager

enter your account password

in the bottom left corner of the window, you should see a set of buttons. Click 'Status'

then, in the list above, click "Installed (auto removable)"

right click all the entries, marking them all for 'complete removal'

[nycste]

great posts guys, thanks i was wondering the same thing myself

Question

click: System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager

enter your account password

in the bottom left corner of the window, you should see a set of buttons. Click 'Status'

then, in the list above, click "Installed (auto removable)"

right click all the entries, marking them all for 'complete removal'

im doing this right now i dont have "Installed (auto removable)"

instead i have
ALL
Installed
Installed (local or obsolete)
Not installed
Not installed (residual config)

[iaculallad]

does that do more than just stray packages? I was under the impression that apt only dealt with packages, not with temp, log, cache and other files that can add up over time.

The apt-get GUI utility does NOT deal with temp files, as in files located on your /tmp directory (w/c is actually removed whenever you logout/reboot/shutdown your computer) and log files, it only deals with the cache files location on your /var/cache/apt/archives directory.

Additional info:

The apt-get clean option of apt-get removes everything except lock files from /var/cache/apt/archives/ and /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/. Thus, if you need to reinstall a package APT should retrieve it again.

The clean option of apt-get deletes all your downloaded cache located at /var/cache/apt/archives.

The autoclean option of apt-get removes only package files that can no longer be downloaded.

[mcduck]

does that do more than just stray packages? I was under the impression that apt only dealt with packages, not with temp, log, cache and other files that can add up over time.

Temp files and caches are cleared automatically by the system. Logs are rotated automatically, removing old log files to make room for new ones. And there is no regsitry so there's no need to clean one..

Apart from Apt's cached files there really isn't much to clean.

[ibuclaw]

+1 mcduck

Although I see some rc packagages installed on the OP's system.

When you uninstall packages, make sure you purge them

Run this

export PACKAGES=$(dpkg -l | awk '{if ($1 == "rc") print $2" "}' | tr -d '\n')
[ -n "$PACKAGES" ] && sudo aptitude purge $PACKAGES

If nothing happens, you are free from left over residual config.

[EDIT]
Also, consider yourself lucky that hardy has fixed all temp files in your $HOME folder from overflowing too!
In Gutsy, it wasn't unusual to see your .thumbnails cache storing 300+MB of images.
So there is even less to worry about now too...

Regards
Iain

[Tom--d]

great posts guys, thanks i was wondering the same thing myself

Question


im doing this right now i dont have "Installed (auto removable)"

instead i have
ALL
Installed
Installed (local or obsolete)
Not installed
Not installed (residual config)

Installed (local or obsolete) is you installing a .deb which is not in the Repository.
Not installed (residual config) is where you have uninstalled something but there are still configuration files somewhere.
Right click that package in Synaptic, and chose Mark for a complete removal. that will sort that problem

Installed (auto removable) is where a certain package has no meaning to be installed. Nothing is needing that package. Sometimes they are left over when uninstalling a program.
Just remove them, its safe to

[nycste]

Installed (local or obsolete) is you installing a .deb which is not in the Repository.
Not installed (residual config) is where you have uninstalled something but there are still configuration files somewhere.
Right click that package in Synaptic, and chose Mark for a complete removal. that will sort that problem

Installed (auto removable) is where a certain package has no meaning to be installed. Nothing is needing that package. Sometimes they are left over when uninstalling a program.
Just remove them, its safe to

thx but i cannot right click any packages in "not installed" there are like 100 things inside this section, if i right click an actual file name my only options are "mark for installation" and "properties"

i did however attempt to remove a virtualbox entry in not installed (residual config) but i got an error trying to do so the error is

"E: virtualbox: subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 1"

thx for any help