PDA

View Full Version : Clean unnecessary localization to save space



mecho
07-16-2010, 11:57 PM
I found BleachBit to be indispensable tool with flash installed Knoppix. People who update packages will find themselves in a situation where they are running out of space in no time. By deleting unnecessary localizations you will be able to mirror the entire Knoppix installation, install a few extra applications and still have enough space on the flash to run Knoppix as a normal OS. BleachBit simplifies the process of deleting localizations and temporary files.
I am using 4 GB usb stick and I am able to mirror almost the entire Knoppix image on the persistent store + addition of at least 50 apps not included originally on CD just by deleting temp files and localizations regularly.
I think it would be a good addition to any future Knoppix release

utu
07-17-2010, 02:28 AM
@mecho

I'm with you. I use a 2Gb stick. Looks interesting.

I also try to minimize the apt-cache in my setup, and
I use SqLite to keep the urlclassifier cache trimmed down.
These are the two biggest problems I'm aware of here.
'XID collision errors' could be a problem here, but if
I avoid Adobe, Hulu and Newegg, these don't amount to much.

You didn't say how you added BleachBit to your setup.
It doesn't show up in Synaptic using just stable repos.
Firefox (IceWeasel) gives Click&Clean in response to a query
for BleachBit as an add-on.

mecho
07-17-2010, 02:52 AM
BleachBit is from Debian Unstable. It has a few Python dependencies . Check it here:
http://packages.debian.org/sid/bleachbit

utu
07-17-2010, 04:27 PM
Current BleachBit uses an older gtk2 than I have.
I've read the BleachBit Forum.
This seems to be a terrifically good idea, but perhaps
a bit too edgy at present for my conservative nature.

One early complaint on the BB Forum is in losing /home.
Now that's sad, but probably not quite believable.
Facts are, the program is extremely powerful, so it
better be right. I think I'll wait and try it when it
shows up in stable.

Will also track whatever your experience is in using BleachBit.

Keep coming up with these good ideas.

mecho
07-17-2010, 07:38 PM
I have been using BleachBit for 6 months without a single issue, that's why I decided to post my experience here. I even went one step further - I use an app called hardlink, which search for file duplicates and substitutes the duplicates with hardlinks. It's very useful in Knoppix if you have already updated most of the packages.I saved 40 MB on /usr directory alone. IT IS NOT USEFUL IF YOU DID NOT UPGRADE KNOPPIX PACKAGES

Capricorny
07-21-2010, 06:48 PM
I see the problem, that is why I have hesitated to upgrade more than I absolutely have to.
But BleachBit - if I understand it right - cannot do anything with "real" upgrades, that is, upgrades where new files are actually used. Even without unnecessary upgrades, my persistent image (4GB) gets full, and i plan to do a remastering to be able to free up most of the persistent image and upgrade packages at once.

mecho
07-22-2010, 02:15 AM
Capricorny I have upgraded 80% of the packages available in Knoppix and I have installed at least 50 new applications which I need. My knoppix installation is 8 months old and I have 1.5 GB of free space on 4 GB flash drive, and its all thanks to BleachBit.
I can tell you why it is working so well. Almost 30% of the size of most applications are localization files which are totally unnecessary if you do not use other languages beside english, so whenever I upgrade a package and I cut off the localization files it takes very little space of the persistent image. I have locked some packages which I do not use much and I do not need them upgraded - such as the whole open office, the printing system and all libs and apps related to them.
BleachBit also has a whitelist and any directory marked in the whitelist will not get cleaned up. You might want to give it a try. I dont think I will run out of space any time soon, because any upgrade on already upgraded package doesn't take any space

mecho
07-22-2010, 02:37 AM
@Utu

Regarding Firefox/Iceweasel urlclassifier3.sqlite - I keep it 30 Kb. I wrote in some of my other post a way to disable the growth of urlclassifier3.sqlite, but it requires alternative security measure.
urlclassifier3.sqlite is a file used by Firefox to keep a database of malicious sites containing phishing and adware. It can be easily disabled, but you will need alternative protection. The best way so far is using opendns DNS servers. Once you subscribe with them you can choose what kind of protection you want for your browser.Phishing sites are blocked by default with opendns. So thir security is way better then using urlclassifier3.sqlite and you have the added bonus of getting rid of this ever growing file. OpenDNS service is totally free

utu
07-22-2010, 09:36 PM
Thanks for the tip. I may give it a try.
My urlclassifier db stays around 20mb, which I find tolerable.

What surprises me, if I understand it correctly, it has a default limit of 104mb.
Presumably it trims itself back at that point.That seems to be an incredible assumption
on the part of the designer that users would willingly give up that much resource.

My only real space problem concerns synaptic. With 2Gb SD chip and Knoppix 6.2.1
I don't dare just upgrade everything at once, as I would with a normally generous
partition of lots of gigabytes. I can live with this. I find this preferable to dual boot
setups.

Keep us posted on all the tweaks you come up with.