cleanup-unused-files

Cleanup Unused Files

Optimize for reclaiming disk space fast.

Prefer obvious, reproducible junk over careful semantic analysis.

Default stance

• Target caches, build output, temp folders, and local tool state first.
• Prefer exact paths over broad globs.
• Be explicit about blast radius.
• Treat anything under source directories as higher risk unless it is known build output.
• If the cleanup touches machine-wide tool state or login/session data, call that out clearly before running it.

Primary targets

Common high-yield cleanup targets include:

• project build output like target/, dist/, .next/, coverage/, .turbo/
• package-manager caches
• SDK/tool caches
• app caches under ~/Library/Caches
• stale temp folders
• old logs, dumps, and exports
• backup/swap/temp files

Examples of the user's preferred cleanup style:

rm -rf ~/.codex
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches
rm -rf ~/.rustup
rm -rf ~/.bun
rm -rf ~/.npm
rm -rf ~/.lmstudio
rm -rf src-tauri/target

Also valid tool-native cleanup commands when they fit better:

cargo clean --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml
npm cache clean --force
brew cleanup --prune=all
rustup toolchain list | grep -v default | xargs -I{} rustup toolchain uninstall {}

Workflow

1) Identify cleanup scope

Determine whether the user wants:

• project-only cleanup
• home-directory cache cleanup
• machine-wide developer reset
• maximum disk recovery regardless of re-download cost

If the request is vague, default to an audit of likely large cache directories first.

2) Prefer highest-yield directories

When disk recovery is the goal, focus on these before hunting tiny files:

• ~/Library/Caches
• ~/.npm
• ~/.bun
• ~/.rustup
• ~/.cargo
• ~/.codex
• ~/.lmstudio
• repo-local target/, dist/, .next/, coverage/
• large temp/export folders under the workspace or home directory

3) Distinguish safe nukes from state resets

Usually safe and reproducible:

• build output
• download caches
• derived data
• package caches
• logs
• temp files