I concur with odaho. Properly configured Linux system is fully capable to keep its nose clean without wonderwares such as BleachBit.

lol. I seem to be the only one who likes those programs here. I will just say I respectfully disagree, well in part anyways. For the average user it makes things easier. I set up Ccleaner on Windows computers for family and friends. I told them what to do and what not to do. They listened and never had issues. This in turn made it easier on me and I ended up working on their computers much less, (which is good since I refuse to charge family and friends for my time, I only charge for the parts, etc., IF needed.)

and other files that clog up my $HOME (but have no impact on performance) couldn't be identified by bleachbit anyway.

or, if it does, i would really like to know how it does it.

scenario:
i install a program, run it once. on first run it creates a directory under ~/.config with maybe 1 or 2 files in it. after uninstalling the program, this directory and the files therein stay behind.
does bleachbit have a mechanism to recognize this, and offer to remove it?

For that specifically I do not believe so, at least not out of the box. What I like is that it covers basics easily and quickly so I can then take care of the rest on my own if, and when, needed. This is what they say at their website. It is also open source, unlike Ccleaner. Maybe some more people can work on it to add even more features.

I want to add that I do not use the wipe free disk feature and do not recommend it for everyone, if at all.

From wikipedia,

Also if people need to really shred files more than bleachbit offers, that can be done in a terminal with shred -u -v -z -n35 /home/user/name.OFfile, for example. For those not familiar with this command one can get more information about that by opening your favorite terminal and typing shred --help BUT those who are new to this should understand there is NO going back once you shred a file. Make sure the correct file is being shredded correctly and you don't end up shredding the wrong files or worse.

i am seeing fundamentals being left out, in many many areas of computing. if the system is found to be hacked then it should be declared a decomm and restored (rebuilt from a build doc). if there is no build doc then someone is not doing their job. running tools to "find" and "clean" on a prod system is ok to do in the lab, not ok to keep it in production.

1 members found this post helpful.

Indeed. Except if it is a defunct Windows virus sitting in browser cache, it can be safely ignored.

browser cache, on a prod server ?? maybe a end-user system, and in that case i might still remove that user item and replace it with a new one.

Of course I didn't mean production server, it was just a remark regarding desktop systems.

Agree. LQ members posting questions in this forum require the attention and expertise of fellow members who actually care to offer friendly and constructive help.

@All: anyone offering any "advice" not catering to the OPs specific needs (like "use a VPN", period) or engaging in mindless banter will find me nudging you towards posting only in /General (cuz that's where the "quality" of your posts will appreciated "better" ;-p).

I've yet to come across any credible documentation stating that overwriting target data with 1 pass of zeros on modern hard drives (and SSDs excluding swap partitions) is anyhow "more vulnerable to data recovery" versus other methods, for all practical applications. If you find any such documentation, let me know.