cyb3rl00m / safe-disk-cleaner

# Safe Disk Cleaner
**See where your disk space went — and understand what is safe to delete.**
Install · What it cleans · How it keeps your system safe · FAQ · Credits · Contributing
Linux quietly keeps gigabytes you'll never need: old kernels, downloaded update files, old Snap
versions, Flatpak runtimes nothing uses anymore, years of picture previews for files you deleted
long ago. Most cleaners show you a wall of checkboxes and hope you know what they mean.
**Safe Disk Cleaner explains every single item** — what it is, why it grew, whether deleting it is
safe, and exactly which command will run — and then lets *you* decide.
## Highlights
- 🧭 **Explains everything in plain language.** Every category answers four questions: *What is it?
 Why does it get so big? Is it safe to delete? What will this app do?*
- 🛡️ **Safe by design.** Only items marked *Safe* are pre-selected. The kernel you're running and a
 fallback kernel are always kept. Nothing is deleted until you confirm.
- 🔍 **Smarter, not just wider.** It reads every picture preview and removes only those whose file no
 longer exists. Previews of USB drives that aren't plugged in are kept.
- 📦 **Made for modern Linux.** Old Snap revisions and unused Flatpak runtimes — often several GB on
 Ubuntu — are first-class categories.
- 🔒 **Locks apps that are running.** Firefox's cache can't be deleted while Firefox is open.
- 📏 **Stops the problem from coming back.** One click caps the journal size for good, or sets how
 many Snap versions are kept.
- 📊 **Shows real results.** After cleaning it reports how much free space your disks actually gained.
- 👀 **Nothing hidden.** "Show the exact commands" reveals every command before it runs.
## What it cleans
| | Category | What it is | Label |
|:-:|---|---|---|
| 🐧 | **Old kernels** | Previous Linux kernels left behind by updates | Safe |
| ⬇️ | **Downloaded update files** | Package files APT / DNF / pacman / zypper kept after installing | Safe |
| 📦 | **Packages no longer needed** | Dependencies nothing uses anymore | Usually safe |
| 🔄 | **Old Snap versions** | Disabled revisions kept only for `snap revert` | Safe |
| 🧩 | **Unused Flatpak runtimes** | Runtimes no installed app needs | Safe |
| 📜 | **System journal** | Old entries of the system log — shrink it and cap it permanently | Safe |
| ⚠️ | **Crash reports & core dumps** | Memory snapshots of crashed programs | Safe |
| 🗂️ | **Old log files** | Rotated copies like `syslog.1` and `kern.log.2.gz` | Safe |
| 🖼️ | **Picture previews** | Thumbnails — especially of files that no longer exist | Safe |
| 📁 | **App caches in your home** | Every folder in `~/.cache`, each explained on its own | Per folder |
| 📱 | **Flatpak & Snap app caches** | Caches of sandboxed apps | Usually safe |
| 🗑️ | **Trash** | Every item with its original location and deletion date | Review first |
**What the labels mean**
- **Safe** — nothing you need is lost; it is recreated or re-downloaded if it's ever needed again.
- **Us