Questions – Opinions Please – BleachBit

[JeffRedd]

I have some questions and I’d like to share with you my experience with BleachBit. I have used BleachBit on Windows for years and it has never failed me. I also installed Linux Mint in an old HP Pavilion dv7t-6100 and never had any issues with it, so I thought I could use it in my new Lenovo ThinkPad running Kubuntu…...but I was wrong. I had to reinstall Kubuntu about 4 times until I finally figured out that Kubuntu doesn’t care much for BleachBit but others have claimed that they don’t have any issues. I was careful to look for any warning and basically set up the way I did in Mint but it didn’t work that way.

After my last Kubuntu install I swore off any type Linux cleaner except for “Stacer” which only removes package caches, crash reports, application logs, application caches and trash. Even though these were harmless to remove I noticed that some things were loading slower because I removed the cashes, especially Discovery (software) and GNOME Software. And afterward these “caches” and “logs” were almost immediately repopulated.

I have since decided that wouldn’t even remove these because I see no real benefit. I’m not sure how large these files can get on their own but I’m just keeping an eye on them.

I’m just an older guy in my 60’s who is just trying something new and hopefully learn a few things along the way. I decided to keep away from any cleaners in general because Linux does not have a registry like Windows does. However I do use the terminal to do some housecleaning.

I have been using:

sudo apt autoremove --purge && sudo apt autoclean

with good effect and keeping my system less cluttered and I think it works better than the other Linux cleaners.

What are your thoughts of this? Be respectful please. I not trying to start a flame war. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Thanks, JeffRedd

[claydoh]

Tools like this I personally find unnecessary, but of course everyone has different needs.

The issue with Bleachbit, imo, is that it does too much, and has in the past removed things that break KDE. I thought that they had fixed this ages and ages ago, but it looks like it still does this, or using specific options in the tool, are deleting something important.
So, your issue is not Kubuntu., but the tool, or rather its settings.

What sort of features of bleachbit do you use/like, and which of those features do you really need to use?
Unless you are low on disk space, there really isn't a dire need or benefit to clearing everything out all the time. As you see, some components such as your app stores will re-download the application data and package list updates when they are not present or out of date.
Browser caches etc, are a separate animal, and have privacy/security concerns for many. But generally Linux is good at keeping logging to a reasonable size, and other systems can be configured to suit.

What are your thoughts of this? Be respectful please. I not trying to start a flame war. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Thanks, JeffRedd

Why do you think that this would happen? Sure, there will be many opinions, but everyone has different systems, and different needs and use cases. Linux actually magnifies the uniqueness even more, and most of us know this.
You may get opinion, suggestion, and even disagreement, but we won't be rude or anything.

You will find us old farts in here run the gamut from "I don't do any file cleanup" (me), to those who leave no trace at all. Most of us are probably NOT using "newbie" tools such as Bleachbit or Stacer, or other tools popular with recent Windows refugees.

[Qqmike]

I was using Bleachbit just for privacy concerns, keeping everything cleaned out. But it did cause some hiccups now and then, though I can't recall the specifics. Along the way, after 18.04, I totally forgot about cleaning -- accidentally forgot about it -- didn't install any cleaners, and since then I don't notice any differences. Selective manual cleaning is probably the smart way to go on this, and only YOU/ME/WE would know what you wish to clean (thumbnails in the browser?), some history files? and so on. One advantage now is that I don't have to 'maintain' (baby sit) Bleachbit!

[Qqmike]

Look what I found. Took it awhile to load, I had to try a couple times, one of my how-to's:

Privacy Cleanup 101
Jan 04, 2008,

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...y-Cleanup-101=

Of course, the details will be out of date, but the approach/thinking/manual focus could give some people some guidance to get started.

[oshunluvr]

Talk about the " 'Way-back machine" lol

[oshunluvr]

What are your thoughts of this? Be respectful please. I not trying to start a flame war. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

To add to what Claydoh said, we do not allow personal attacks directed at our users. However, everyone has opinions about various pieces of Linux and it's programs. Civil discourse often leads to helpful information or the forming of new opinions. Someones' opinion about a particular piece of software is a valid opinion even if you don't share it.

As far as the topic: The only time I tried Bleachbit was a long while ago and I found it unnecessarily complicated and really didn't see the need for it. That, along with the potential damage it can do was enough for me to steer clear of it.

In a Windows environment, there are 1000's of hidden things going on in the registry and files being stashed everywhere all hodge-podge and very little developer prudence when it comes time to clean-up time or removal. Tools like CCleaner and Bleachbit are nearly mandatory to keep thing even marginally clean and unbloated.

Linux in general, or more properly maybe Linux developers, tend to be more detailed in their installations, follow the "rules" with regard to file placement, and clean up after themselves rather well. And if they don't, it doesn't take long for complaints to arise and fixes to be released.

The point being, I personally see no need for this utility. Apt autoremove and autoclean are just housekeeping tools for package management and nothing else. If you see a need for something else than have at it. Finding dup data is a good tool if Bleachbit does that. Nothing more wasteful than 6 copies of the same digital photo all over the place...

[Beerislife]

I used Bleachbit in the past but as already noted, it does too much and can cause harm if the wrong settings are checked. I find Stacer just does enough for my needs.

[JeffRedd]

What sort of features of bleachbit do you use/like, and which of those features do you really need to use?
Unless you are low on disk space, there really isn't a dire need or benefit to clearing everything out all the time. As you see, some components such as your app stores will re-download the application data and package list updates when they are not present or out of date. Browser caches etc, are a separate animal, and have privacy/security concerns for many. But generally Linux is good at keeping logging to a reasonable size, and other systems can be configured to suit.

I was using BleachBit to do some general housecleaning. I wanted it to work like it did in Linux Mint but it didn’t work out that way.
Like I said (and like you said) I just wanted to remove old packages that were no longer needed and left behind. Yesterday I removed 750 megabytes (through the console) of packages what were left behind and or obsolete. I’m sure this is because I have been trying out different a lot of software that I’m interested in and sometimes removing it but apparently leaving something things behind. The “sudo apt autoremove --purge && sudo apt autoclean” command has worked well for me and that will fill my need to keep my system clean. I clean my browsers out at a local level (within the program) and that works well enough for me.

[claydoh]

It seems to me that bleachbit folks still don't really care about or consider KDE users, just as they didn't seem to back in the KDE3 days.I do recall specifically testing this out many many years ago, maybe even before Kubuntu existed (2005)?
I installed it and used its default settings, and could not log in to the desktop.
I cannot recall exactly what it had nuked to cause this, but it seemed to be something that wasn't a very simple fix, even on the command line. Not difficult, just not obvious and immediately undo-able.But I really don't remember details.


Here is a 10 year old blog post from a KDE dev on it.
Seems it can not only delete stuff, but do things to memory as well.
I haven't seen anyone have similar issues using Stacer or other tools.

[kc1di]

I have never really cared for bleach bit. It is too able to delete things I don't want deleted. I use Stacer and Ubuntu cleaner which works for me.
Ubuntu cleaner found here:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/12/...er-janitor-app

[JeffRedd]

I have never really cared for bleach bit. It is too able to delete things I don't want deleted. I use Stacer and Ubuntu cleaner which works for me.

Kc1di, Thanks for that information. I just installed it. I tried it before but I had a problem (forgot what it was) but I just installed “Ubuntu Cleaner” yesterday and it works great. I have to say that Ubuntu Cleaner is the best all around cleaner I have used for the Ubuntu distros. I’m using Kubuntu and it works great. And I use Stacer too for a variety of things. Thanks again.

P.S. The PPA install for the Ubuntu Cleaner is the one that worked for me.