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byoval/purclean

★ 16ValaAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

Purclean is a graphical disk-cleaning app for Fedora Linux that removes old kernel files, package caches, browser data, Docker leftovers, and other unneeded system files through a native GNOME window.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((purclean))
    What it cleans
      Old kernel versions
      Flatpak and Snap cache
      Docker and Podman data
      Browser and thumbnail cache
    Tech stack
      Vala language
      GTK4 interface
      libadwaita design
      Flatpak packaging
    Installation
      flatpak-builder
      GNOME Platform SDK 47
    Use cases
      Free disk space
      Remove orphaned packages
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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Free up disk space on a Fedora Linux machine by removing old kernel versions and DNF package manager caches.

USE CASE 2

Clean up leftover Docker and Podman container data taking up storage.

USE CASE 3

Remove orphaned packages and browser caches through a simple graphical GNOME interface.

Tech stack

ValaGTK4libadwaitaFlatpak

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires flatpak-builder and the GNOME Platform SDK version 47 installed from Flathub before building.

You can use, modify, and share this software, but any modified versions you distribute must also be open source under the same GPL-3.0 license.

In plain English

Purclean is a graphical disk cleaning tool designed for Fedora Linux. It provides a window where you can free up storage space by removing files that are no longer needed, organized across several categories you can select and run. The categories the app covers include old Linux kernel versions that build up after system updates, cache files left behind by Flatpak and Snap (two packaging systems common on Linux), leftover AppImage files, large downloaded files, system log files managed by the systemd service, orphaned packages (software dependencies that were installed for another program that was later removed), browser cache files, image thumbnail caches, the package manager cache for DNF (Fedora's built-in package manager), Docker and Podman container data, and duplicate files. The app is written in Vala, a programming language designed for GNOME applications, and uses the GTK4 graphical library together with the libadwaita design system. This gives it the standard look of a native GNOME desktop application rather than a generic window. Installation is done through Flatpak. You clone the repository, use the flatpak-builder tool to compile and install it, then launch it with a single flatpak run command. Building requires the GNOME Platform SDK version 47, which can be installed from Flathub. This packaging approach keeps the app and its dependencies self-contained and separate from the rest of the system. The README is brief and does not describe the user interface in detail beyond a screenshot. The project is released under the GPL-3.0-or-later License.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Install Purclean on Fedora Linux using Flatpak and use it to remove old kernel versions and free up disk space, walk me through cloning, building with flatpak-builder, and running it.
Prompt 2
I want to clean up my Fedora system's Docker and Podman leftovers using Purclean, which categories should I select and what exactly gets deleted?
Prompt 3
Help me set up Purclean on my GNOME desktop and run a full cleanup including orphaned packages, systemd logs, and browser cache.
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