How to remove data files from uninstalled applications?

Asked May 23 '20 at 18:35

Active May 25 '20 at 09:57

Viewed 949 times

I am searching for a maintenance tool that cleans up left overs, including in /home, from uninstalled applications based on the history of my uninstalls.

These leftover files can be small and therefore stay under the radar of disk useage tools, but they can also be huge (a recent baloo index on .local/share was 27 GB).

This topic has been discussed over the years, but without resolve for me. In addition to my request I want the tool to find leftovers from previous OS installations that have wiped the install history.

PS:

I appreciate that no package uninstall should remove user data, (see Why don't programs completely uninstall (remove all their files) when I remove them?).
This excellent post What is the correct way to completely remove an application? covers how to remove ex-configs.
I am aware of bleachbit. But it is brute force and has brought my computer to a halt by creating GBs of tmp data while cleaning.

edited May 25 '20 at 09:57

asked May 23 '20 at 18:35

Christians

An apt removal should include all data (exceptions: /home, /etc). An apt purge should also include all data (exception: /home). Any other result is a bug in the application or the removal script. If this behavior can be duplicated reliably, then please file a bug report. Additional applications to work around a bug are not recommended. – user535733 May 23 '20 at 18:42
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I doubt there is a tool that can guarantee the removal of all data for any application, so good luck with that. – mikewhatever May 23 '20 at 18:44
Does this answer your question? Advanced disk usage analyzing software? – N0rbert May 24 '20 at 09:10
Tks Norbert, but small files are difficult to detect with the tool you have suggested, – Christians May 24 '20 at 16:25
Have you tried Stacer? – DankyNanky May 25 '20 at 10:15
Stacer does not find the leftover .local/share/baloo files. – Christians May 28 '20 at 15:37

How to remove data files from uninstalled applications?

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