Linux Lite Forums
Software - Support => Installing Software => Topic started by: BarryVG on July 19, 2016, 05:00:42 PM
-
Greetings,
Looking for any comments to this.
I was browsing through Softpedia web site and a page came up for BleachBit - a cleaning software for Linux systems. Anyone have any experience with this item. I don't plan to put this on my Linux Lite systems, since there is already Lite Tweaks.
I also run Mint, Debian, Ultimate Edition (several versions) and a couple others.
Barry
-
BleachBit goes well beyond Lite Tweaks, and I would have it installed on any Linux system (with the exception of Knoppix and/or Puppy run off a USB stick). It is very powerful, and also has the root variant. Obviously, caution is advised - think twice before pressing the cleaning button. It certainly will delete all the items specified, with no recourse.
-
Hi,
I have experience with Bleachbit. Bleachbit can be compared with Ccleaner for Windows. When you install Bleachbit, you will get 2 menu entries: Bleachbit and Bleachbit as root.
The first entry will only clean your personal folder. The other entry will clean root ( / ) as well. It contains a variety of cleaners for several applications.
Bleachbit can be handy if you want to have a central location to clean your system. It will take over some basic actions/controls of other programs and performs in some cases even a better cleaning action.
There are rumours going around that Bleachbit destroys complete installations, but if you ask those persons directly about this they will come up with answers like I heard this and that from that person who saw this and that.... Most replies will stick to the category rumours. Also keep in mind that the version provided by Mint and Ubuntu are older versions, running 1 or 2 versions behind the latest version available on the site of Bleachbit itself. Therefore it is always handy to either update or install the latest version as Bleachbit keeps improving and evolving.
But my experience is, that when you know what your doing, nothing can go wrong.
On the other hand, one should ask the following 2 questions:
1) Am i able to set up every application in such way that it cleans up itself when closing that application? (i.e.: set up Firefox such way that it cleans up cookies, browser history, etc. when closing Firefox)
2) Do i prefer having a central location where i am able to clean my system with a few mouse clicks in a easy to use GUI?
If the answer is Yes to question #1, you most probably don't need Bleachbit. If your answer is yes on question #2, then you could try out Bleachbit.
I even have some other solutions: https://sites.google.com/site/easytipsforlinux/clean-up-linux. Especially the terminal commands should be more than sufficient to clean your system.
In an nutshell:
- Set up any application, if possible, to clean up it's own temporary files, cookies, history, log files, etc. when closing that application
- Run the terminal commands once a month
- Basically, Linux doesn't clutter up like Windows
- With the sizes of hard drives nowadays, will you really miss the amount of Mb's which are filled with temp. files, log files, cookies, etc.?
You will also see on my site a section for Deborphan. This application i use rarely but can be very handy to clean up any packages which are orphaned or no longer required. But this application is not for the inexperienced user since this tool really can break your system.
-
Well said.
1) I have never had a Deb install grow beyond 50G even with samba, and kernel development tools, and android tools, though I put db's on separate partitions. I suppose Ubuntu could grow bigger, though not for any ordinary non-development user.
2) Application configuration is more important for ordinary users, and/or small slow HDD's.
3) I have never used bleach bit, or found it necessary myself for Deb.
4) Deb orphan is useful for development work, sometimes a time saver, and safety net, more than anything else, to locate version changes etc when modifying a running Deb. I do use it, when I forget where I left off, which happens fairly regularly for me nowadays.
5) Bleach bit comes with LXLE, but honestly it's more like trying to trim your mustache with a riding lawnmower for inexperienced users. You could chop off your nose.
Nice sensible reply.
TC
-
Agree with all comments, use with "Caution"
Take backups**, if you plan to use it...
I use it on a weekly/periodic basis, but leave the:
"Bash History" - "Unchecked" , I like my bash history
"Free Disk Space" - "Unchecked" , Only really useful for when you want to compact a disk(s) in a VM to reclaim disk space.
"Memory" - "Unchecked" , Have plenty of memory so don't want to create issues....
Never had issues...
Lite Tweaks more or less does the same, with 2 exceptions:
1. Bleachbit gets rid of "Non-Locale" language files, I'm set-up for English UK, but updates & installs bring all variants of English.
I have just checked now, I gained back 205MB of space taken with the extra "Extra" English language files...
This can be fixed by changes/tweaks to: /etc/default/locale , but have not bothered, for so little gain
2. Bleachbit seems to get rid of a "few", and I mean a few more temp, and archived log files.
So unless you really have a need... stick to Lite Tweaks
**
Part of my backup suite is Aptik (http://www.teejeetech.in/2016/04/aptik-v1641.html) , very useful for settings, some nice additions added recently,
Ignore the migration bit, you can still use it just to backup/restore settings.
-
Thank you one and all. I strive to ask for comments before heading into the unknown. Like often said, don't create a new wheel when others have been there before.
My system: LL2.8
Desktop: Xfce 4.10
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1.86GHz
Architecture: i686
Memory: 1500 MB (Used: 618 MB 41.2%)
Kernel: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic
I have another running LL3.00, but I like the 2.8 on this one.
-
Perhaps I should start a new thread, but I want to ask if anyone knows how to install the "shred" (secure-delete) utility as a nautilus (or LL equivalent) option. I'm running a Dell Dimension E310 with a Pentium 4 cpu and have held onto Ubuntu 10.04 until recently. Now my web browsers are too dated to work properly, so I just installed LL 3.0. I handle confidential data files in my work and really liked being able to right-click and "shred" whenever I'm done, but I have not found this option in LL yet. Thanks in advance.
-
@phineaspgage
shred is already available, open a terminal
man shred
also
shred --help
If you want to create a custom action in Thunar, I found this:
In Thunar, open "Edit" then "Configure Custom Actions"
Add (the plus sign)
Name "Shred File"
Description whatever you like
Action "shred -u %f"
Select "Appearance Conditions" and select "Other Files"
If you want to use "srm" then replace "shred -u %f" with "srm %f" in the example above.
You may/will need to install secure-delete(srm)
sudo apt-get install secure-delete
[/size]
This was the comment also noted on "srm"
srm – secure remove
This tool is basically a more advanced version of the “shred” command. Instead of just overwriting your files with random data,
it uses a special process – a combination of random data, zeros, and special values developed by cryptographer Peter Gutmann
– to really, really make sure your files are irrecoverable.
-
@Wirezfree THANK YOU
That's a HUGE help. Thank you so much. (I'm embarrassed to admit I was looking for nautilus...."Thunar" and your instructions brought me home. Success!).
-
@phineaspgage
Glad to help... Enjoy LL
-
Just a side note on "confidential data":
Shred and/or srm may be ineffective on SSDs, so beware of a false sense of security in case the aging HDD has been replaced.
-
@richtea,
Correct, it depends on many factors:
1. Does the SSD support "Secure Erase" not all SSD controllers enable it
2. srm/secure erase do random overwrites(35?), so it may still be possible, with time & tools to recover files.
3. Best general user option is to use gparted and completely erase, and zero out free space.
Like always, it's a risk assessment...
-
Back to the topic, tangentially:
http://www.bleachbit.org/news/bleachbit-stifles-investigation-hillary-clinton
I am told the new company mascot will be called the BleachBitch.