[SOLVED] BleachBit

[mint_aero]

Why does it delete stuff from 'recent documents list' when I haven't opened any documents/files?

Thanks

[deepakdeshp]

It's a system wrecking program. You shouldn't use it.

[sleeper12]

See: https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... s.html#ID4

[exploder]

Stacer has a built in cleaning utility that is safer to use. It's in the default repos.

[t42]

BleachBit is one of the most useful Linux programs which I'm using more then ten years without any issues whatsoever. It has clear description about every operation available. You just need to understand what you are doing, that's all.

[Moem]

BleachBit is one of the most useful Linux programs which I'm using more then ten years without any issues whatsoever.

Great. Then you are in the perfect position to answer the OP's question, I should think.

[ajgreeny]

Tell us in much more detail why and how it is useful!

I suspect you may still be thinking in Windows terms where simply using the OS creates a lot of cruft that possibly needs cleaning out.
Linux Mint does not do that so bleachbit is in my opinion, just like many others here,totally unnecessary, and if you are not fully conversent with its use, far too easy to use wrongly and remove things best left alone.

[t42]

Why does it delete stuff from 'recent documents list' when I haven't opened any documents/files?

It deletes a list itself, which may be empty or not. It is a file located at ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel
- may open that file in a text editor to see the list.
- you can uncheck the option Recent documents list: Delete the list of recently used documents if you consider the operation as unnecessary.

[Termy]

Tell us in much more detail why and how it is useful!

I'd guess the OP would rather this thread lead to an answer to his or her question, than another debate as to whether BleachBit is useful or not. It could make for an interesting separate thread though.

That being said, it's worth remembering that many tools can be destructive in the wrong hands, and that also goes for outside of IT. A tool having the capability to be destructive does not mean it's only ever destructive. There are some obvious real-world examples of this, but I'd probably be pushing the board rules to their limits bringing them up. I think the dd(1) program is a perfect example in Linux, though. Suffice it to say, it's likely not a black and white affair.

[Moem]

I'd guess the OP would rather this thread lead to an answer to his or her question, than another debate as to whether BleachBit is useful or not.

Mod note:
Exactly.

[mikeflan]

Why does it delete stuff from 'recent documents list' when I haven't opened any documents/files?

Thanks

Why do you use BB? Is your OS shoehorned into a tight place and you need room freed up?

[Pjotr]

I'd guess the OP would rather this thread lead to an answer to his or her question, than another debate as to whether BleachBit is useful or not.

Mod note:
Exactly.

I don't agree. For two reasons.

First of all, this is a public forum, so the answers are being read by more people than just the participators in the thread. Warnings against software wrecking balls like BleachBit might not please the OP, but future readers can perhaps be steered away from this dangerous path.

Secondly, I consider helping people to be more than just strictly answering the question that was posed. Occasionally I like to look beyond that, to the underlying problem. Which in this case, can probably be solved in a better way than by using this horrible file destroyer. So I'm interested in the answers to the questions that mikeflan has asked.

[mint_aero]

Thanks for all the replies.

I use it because I like to think my laptop is running as optimally as possible, without clutter.

I don't run it "as root" so it often prevents a lot of operations, presumably to protect the system. Plus I click cancel if a warning comes up. I haven't had any issues with it so far, but I'll look into Stacer as an alternative.

Cheers

[majpooper]

I'll add my two cents.
First I agree with Pjotr that sometimes the question has a underlying issue - such as maybe keeping linux cleaned of crud. And second, BB can be a wrecking ball especially if you don't understand what you are doing or how it actually works.

Also I would like to add my experience. I tested BB many moons ago and found it really did not clean out all that much - a few mb - nothing significant. I do not do any "cleaning" of mine or my wife's or any other linux system that I have installed and support with no adverse results. The only thing I have ever run into, several years ago, was too many old kernels but the update manager now handles maintaining that situation quite nicely. This idea of needing a "cleaner" is definitely a Windows concept like needing an AV - ideas that should be left behind when coming to linux.

[cliffcoggin]

You just need to understand what you are doing, that's all.

So true, but then that applies to all software, whether its good or bad. The point at issue then is whether we understand the software we use. In my case I don't have clue so I rely on its reputation in deciding whether to install or not.

[t42]

Just for information. I run BleachBit this morning on this system, Debian Testing, installed month ago. It is its 1st run, so recovered space is bigger then usual.

Code: Select all

Bleachbit user:
Disk space recovered: 54.9MB
Files deleted: 1497

Bleachbit root:
Disk space recovered: 3.21GB
Files deleted: 64654

I know exactly what was deleted, there is a full list and it took only 2 minutes.
It speeds up subsequent upgrade process and backup, system backup image is smaller.

On this forum I remember only one issue with BleachBit about two years ago. The real problem is another application, it's Grub Customizer.

[motoryzen]

I consider helping people to be more than just strictly answering the question that was posed. Occasionally I like to look beyond that, to the underlying problem. Which in this case, can probably be solved in a better way than by using this horrible file destroyer. So I'm interested in the answers to the questions that mikeflan has asked.

That's very reasonable Pjotr. I concur.

[Pjotr]

I use it because I like to think my laptop is running as optimally as possible, without clutter.

You can clean safely without the help of wrecking balls, like this:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... -mint.html

[MiZoG]

You do not need "cleaning" on Linux the way you supposedly need it on Windows. This is my experience too.
But sometimes you may want to delete a glitchy thumbnail cache, histories of recently accessed files that clutter your menus and so on.
You can do it manually, in a terminal, running a script, a cron-job, whatever but third-party apps with a gui can come handy.
Never had any problem with Bleachbit (Stacer is totally abandoned since 2019). I guess I know what I'm doing.
Bleachbit in user mode cannot wreck your system. Even in "administrator mode" I cannot find anything that could seriously compromise a Linux system. Cleaning "Localizations" perhaps if mishandled but if Bleachbit simply removes unused localizations as it should then it is OK.
Yet if I had carelessly checked all boxes, I would have ended up with deleted bash history for instance. Bash history is a valuable feature to me.
I would never have wanted to let any third party app, Bleachbit in this case, touch my Thunderbird address book, database, stored credentials no matter what. It would have been disastrous for me as a user even if it had not literally broken my system.

[t42]

Just to add to the above a short BleachBit safety guide:
First: go to Preferences and carefully check that en English and your other localization languages if any are checked.
Apt:
after cleaning do refresh in the Update manger or Synaptic before proceed
Bash
uncheck:
History
System
uncheck:
Clipboard
Custom
Free disk space
Memory
Brave browser
uncheck:
Cookies
History
Passwords
Search Engines
Site preferences
Sync
Firefox
uncheck:
Cookies
Form history
Passwords
Site preferences
URL history
Pale Moon
uncheck:
Cookies
Form history
Passwords
Site preferences
URL history
Other browsers and email apps
see above.

Anyway BleachBit may help with anti-forensic measures. To anonymize your system check Cookies, Form history, Passwords, Site preferences, URL history, Sync, Clipboard, Free disk space, Memory.