Tips for cleaning your Linux system

Trimming Down

Article from Issue 297/2025
Author(s):

File bloat can happen to anyone. These simple tips will help you keep your systems lean and responsive.

Linux is stable, fast, and versatile. But let's be honest: After a while, things get messy with temporary files, old packages, piled-up old kernels, and unused applications. Worse than the unused applications are the applications you install just to try and then remove without knowing what they'll leave behind.

Recently, I started noticing that my sleek Ubuntu system was feeling heavy, which made me realize it was time to liberate some disk space. As a long-time Linux user, I've faced these issues many times. The good news is that cleaning up your Linux system isn't hard. In this article, I'll show you some ways to declutter your system and reclaim disk space while keeping Linux running smoothly.

Remove Unnecessary Packages

Over time, as you install and remove software, your system can pile up unused packages, specifically, orphaned packages. Orphaned packages are software components that were originally installed as dependencies for other programs, but you no longer need them because the parent software has been removed.

[...]

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

  • Ncdu

    Ncdu adds some GUI-like features to the classic du command.

  • Cleanup Tools

    The Linux environment includes dozens of tools for disk maintenance. We introduce you to a few of the favorites.

  • CLI File Manager

    If you're a Linux lover, you'll know the command line is the slickest and most efficient way to interact with the system. Free yourself from point-and-click with the nnn command-line file manager.

  • Back up Email with a Single Command
  • Baobab

    Unnecessary files and directories take up valuable space on hard disks or SSDs. Baobab lets you locate and remove data garbage at the push of a button.

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