Removing unneeded files on Debian

Command Line – Debian File Maintenance

© Lead Image © eAltomedia, 123RF.com

© Lead Image © eAltomedia, 123RF.com

Article from Issue 292/2025
Author(s):

Unneeded files can accumulate on any installation. Here's how to get rid of them on Debian.

Lack of memory on computers is less of a problem than it was in the past. Instead, the opposite problem is more common: In two or three terabytes, files can be easily hidden that could be deleted. If the misplaced files are package files, they can can become a security problem and interfere with the installation of new packages or, worse still, system updates.

In 2011, Raphaël Hertzog, the founder of Freexian, posted a series of five blogs with the running title of "Debian Cleanup Tips" that explains how to locate different types of misplaced files – mostly for packages – and deal with them [1]. Specifically, he mentions cruft (unneeded clutter), configuration files, obsolete packages, third-party packages, and broken packages. Hertzog's tips remain relevant today, so I thought it would be useful to summarize them for a general audience, adding my own comments such as where to obtain package information. Taken together, these tips form a maintenance routine that can be followed on any Debian or Debian-derived system.

Deleting Unused Packages

Security is strongest when only needed packages are installed. For security, or to free memory on a small filesystem, you may want to look up information about a package. This information can be found online [2] or on an installed system [3]. You may also want to check the last time a binary was accessed, using stat FILE, which shows the last time that a file was accessed, modified, or changed, as well as its birth (date of creation) (Figure 1). If a long-unused package is not essential, it might be a candidate for deletion using apt remove PACKAGE. Candidates for deletion are most likely to be found in /usr or sometimes /opt.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • More Than Adequate

    The adequate command-line tool helps users pinpoint problems with installed DEB packages.

  • Czkawka

    Czkawka helps find and remove duplicate and obsolete files to free up valuable disk space.

  • Housekeeping

    When it comes to weeding out unnecessary packages on your Debian system, debfoster lets you conveniently arrange all your housekeeping functions into a single command.

  • Cleaning Apt Cache

    Full Apt archives might be unexpected, but there are a few solutions if you encounter the issue.

  • Cleaning Apt Cache

    Full Apt archives might be unexpected, but there are a few solutions if you encounter the issue.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News