Steps to Clean Up Your Ubuntu System.

ubuntu server image 18.04

Are you running out of space? This is the very common problem that you often clash because of plenty of useless files that gather daily and you forget to delete them from the system. Due to this, you might feel that your system is slow, lagging despite you are up-to-date.

Here in this article, we’ll share the simple ways to clean up the Ubuntu system and get more space.

1. Remove all the Unwanted Applications, Files and Folders.

Using your default Ubuntu Software manager, remove the unwanted applications that you don’t use.

ubuntu server

2. Remove unwanted Packages and Dependencies

After removing those apps, files, and packages some data is left still, automatically bestowing upon the user the responsibility of rooting out the remnant data and deleting them. Ubuntu has an inbuilt cleaner that you can access through your terminal using the following command:

ubuntu server 1

3. Need to Clean the Thumbnail Cache

Ubuntu uses thumbnails to make certain operations on your computer to execute them faster. They are kind of cache and cookies in your browsers. Also, it stores those thumbnails in a hidden directory in your user account at the location ~/.cache/thumbnails.

Moreover, the thumbnails increases and the computer doesn’t clear it automatically. Ubuntu has an inbuilt command that can help you with this issue. So to clear the thumbnail cache use the below command-

ubuntu server 2

You can also check the size of the thumbnail before deleting them by using the command:

ubuntu server 3

 4. Regularly clean the APT cache

Apt (Advanced Package Tool) cache is a place where Ubuntu keeps all the files that you have downloaded, installed or uninstalled on your system. It keeps them (in your /var/cache/apt/archives directory).

If ignored, this cache can grow pretty large and hold a lot of packages that you don’t need.

The following command tells you the size of the APT cache on your system-

ubuntu server 4

After knowing the size of the cache on your system, you can clear this cache using the below command-

ubuntu server 5

In order to keep your system clean, you should clear your apt cache regularly.

To conclude:

There are many ways to clean up the Ubuntu system. We like to recommend you #apt-get clean more often than any other commands here. Using this command frequently keeps the system free from unnecessary files.

We hope this article helped you to make free space on Ubuntu. Do revert to us if this worked perfectly for you.

mm
About Author
Niteesha Birari

Niteesha is a Senior Specialist at ESDS, working closely with the Governance Team to drive innovation, efficiency, and compliance across projects. With a strong passion for cloud technologies and digital innovation, she plays a key role in designing and maintaining the organization’s information architecture, ensuring seamless data accessibility and system efficiency. Known for her sharp analytical mindset and clear communication, Niteesha has extensive experience in crafting high-quality technical documentation—including articles, user guides, and service manuals—that simplify complex software products and services for diverse audiences.

View All Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts