cleaning junk for Linux

easy steps to clean junk off your Linux machine:


* Synaptic: in the Status tab if there is stuff to be removed it's gonna be in the section "Not installed (residual configuration)"
that section only appears if there is stuff to be removed

* gtkorphan: everything in the "Orphaned packages" tab should be safe to remove.

* Bleachbit: i use Bleachbit (as root) first, then Bleachbit.

* finally, "sudo apt-get autoremove" from the Terminal.
there will be rarely any stuff there after all the steps above.

it's always good to have a recent image in case you FUBAR your machine.

 

I've removed quite a few packages I don't need. Probably saved me a few hundred megabytes and a bit of RAM (some were running processes) + reduced attack surface.

If you're looking for a really clean Ubuntu I'd suggest the minimal install.

 

Ubuntu runs like a slug on my machine.

anyway, i removed a lot of stuff; Libre Office, Mono, Java, Samba.
that's at least 500 MB right there.

 

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=140920&highlight=clean files

 

very nice tips there m8!

tnx for the heads-up!

 

Unnecessary and even dangerous.
And will yield no performance improvement.
Mrk

 

the performance i get is that my image is very small.
it takes me 3 minutes, give or take 3 seconds, to restore an image.

i restore images at least 10 times a week.
a lot more when i go nuts.lol
time is everything for me.

if i screw up, the fix is only 3 minutes away...

 

10 times a week?
Mrk

 

Not all that surprised, based on first post.

 

i use image restore as a souped-up 'uninstaller'.

if i install a program and it does not work out or i don't like it, i just restore to 'uninstall' a program.
this way, i'm sure everything's gone.

keeps the machine lean and mean.lol

 

You won't see a performance increase by restoring an image. Linux is not Windows, it has no "Windows rot."

 

To be fair... If you install Linux on a 100+ GB hard drive using one gigantic partition a la the Windows default, you will probably see "rot" sooner or later, as files will eventually get distributed all over the disk. But most distros give you a separate home partition by default, so this doesn't crop up much (I think).

But yes, Windows accumulates temporary files in the same fashion as a PC accumulates dust. Whereas Linux barely uses temp files for anything. KDE makes fairly heavy use of /tmp and /var/tmp, and usually has < 10 MB total stored in those directories

 

Ext filesystem already spreads files all over the disk, by design, the way it works. So you won't see any difference.
Mrk

 

Is that correct?

 

Many do. It surprised me that Ubuntu did not. I meant to do that this time and separate boot as well. Oh well.

 

As others have stated is is overkill but if it makes you happy then meh. I do have to say though I don't like bleachbit. It is downright dangerous and most the things it cleans you could do yourself in the application preferences. For example I set firefox to clear browser cache, history and cookies on exit.

 

never had a problem using Bleachbit, either in Windows or Linux.

i understand you can do most of this stuff from a terminal but i just like using a mouse driven GUI.

Bleachbit cleans a lot more than just Firefox.

 

I'm aware of that. It was just one example amongst many I could have provided.

 

on Windows, i have always used tools like CCleaner, Bleachbit etc...
so i took this way of doing things to Linux.

if only i could keep my appartement as clean as my machine. lol

 

Wouldn't "spread all over a 10 GB partition" be a bit different than "spread all over a 160 GB partition"?

 

i used bleachbit too but no root and with precaution not as deadly like you moontan


also which image restore you using i wonder

 

it's all in my sig!

i use Image for DOS cause the disk loads faster on my machine than either IFW or IFL.

in Bleachbit, i have the Free disk space, Localization and Memory boxes unchecked.
as BB was warning of potential problems.