I'm currently using Linux Mint and have a root partition of 75 GB that's completely full. However, when I check the space with Baobab, it shows only 30 GB being used, which makes no sense because I know my OS has consumed more space than that. I'm curious if there's a simple, graphical way to remove different types of apps I've installed, such as system packages, Flatpaks, and AppImages. Also, I can't find all the apps in the software manager's list. Additionally, why doesn't Baobab reflect the actual storage usage accurately? I even tried running it with sudo, but it didn't help. Lastly, are there hidden places where my OS could be storing data that I need to check?
4 Answers
About your partition question, it's important to differentiate between the provisioned size of your partition and the actual data written to it. If you allocated 75 GB for the root partition, it might be the case that only 30 GB is actively being used for data, which is what Baobab reports. If you think you’re using up all that space, could you clarify how you're measuring your used disk space?
Why not use `ncdu` for checking your disk space? It's pretty effective. Also, you can try the Synaptic Package Manager to view and manage your installed programs easily. It also helps with purging anything unwanted without hassle.
There's no single tool that can manage the various installation methods for all apps perfectly. Each distribution has its own ways, and some app stores may handle multiple types. As for your storage issue, it can help to clarify how you're measuring disk space. And regarding hidden storage, I haven't noticed anything major that's hidden, aside from some metadata that's not typically reachable.
To uninstall apps on Linux, you typically won’t use file system management tools like Baobab. Instead, you should use the Mint Software Manager for any installations or removals. Just so you know, some applications might leave files in your home directory, particularly in hidden folders that start with a dot (.). These are not visible by default in graphical interfaces. Also, if you want to see what’s really taking up space, try running `sudo df -h` in the terminal for detailed disk usage. It’ll present the data clearly.
Ah, so those dot directories were confusing! I found that booting into a live environment showed those hidden directories in Baobab. It’s good to know there's a simple workaround.
Using `df` works fine, but it's not the most visually accessible. I prefer using `duf`. It presents the info in a much more user-friendly way!
I checked File Manager properties, and it shows that my free space is almost gone, which aligns with the total 75 GB allocation. Looks like that’s the total space consumed!