How to: free up space

From EasyPeasy Wiki

Contents 1 Delete unneeded applications 1.1 Suggested applications to remove 2 Remove unnecessary languages 3 Install localepurge 4 Clear APT cache 5 Reduce the size of your /usr directory 6 Find the diskhogs 7 Find lighter alternatives for applications

[edit] Delete unneeded applications

These are generic instructions for removing applications. What you remove is entirely up to you, but the more you remove, the more diskspace you'll have available...

1. Start Synaptic (System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager)
2. Select Installed (Status > Installed)
3. Start removing applications
   1. Open up the applications menu (not in Synaptic. By default, in the top left corner)
   2. Find the name of an application you don't use (all applications you find in this menu are safe to remove)
   3. Find it in synaptic by starting typing the name
   4. Right click it and select "Mark for Removal"
   5. When you've marked the applications you want to remove, click "Apply" in the top bar

[edit] Suggested applications to remove

Application names are written as shown in Synaptic

• f-spot, gimp: Photo management. Remove unless you'll be using a camera.
• bluez: You don't need this unless you use a USB Bluetooth dongle.
• brasero, sound-juicer,: Unless you have a external CD Drive that you would use with this, it is safe to remove
• brltty and anything that includes the keyword 'braille' unless you are blind
• xsane and xsane-common: Who need a scanner with eeepc?
• diveintopython: a book about Python programming
• wodim: command line tool to write CD/DVD
• openoffice.org-impress: A program to make presentations. Similar to Microsoft Powerpoint.

[edit] Remove unnecessary languages

1. Open Language&Locale control panel (System > Administration > Languages&Locales)
2. Deselect unused languages from the list.

[edit] Install localepurge

Locale Purge is a program that deletes the unnecessary locales installed with each program.

• You can install it in Synaptic or

sudo apt-get install localepurge

• Run the application

sudo localepurge

[edit] Clear APT cache

After the initial install of new packages and the removal of unnecessary packages, the apt cache may contain large number of files. You can reclaim some space by

sudo aptitude clean

[edit] Reduce the size of your /usr directory

Paul Battley wrote a post about this, here: http://po-ru.com/diary/linux-liposuction-or-xubuntu-in-under-a-gig-on-the-eee-pc/

[edit] Find the diskhogs

Install debian-goodies and deborphan. deborphan lists packages with no dependencies, and dpigs from debian-goodies lists the packages that takes up the most space, like openoffice.

[edit] Find lighter alternatives for applications

• Use abiword instead of openoffice-writer.
• Use gnumeric instead of openoffice-calc.
• Vlc instead of totem