Arch Linux

keepers

Member

Registered: 2020-03-11

Posts: 7

Where Temporary files is stored?

Newbie question here, does Arch Linux store temporary files in the system? how to clear any temporary files on Arch my storage is getting bigger I fear it runs out of space.

Windows temporary files directory
%system%\Windows\Temp

Debian deb package:
/var/lib/dpkg/

where and how can I clear my tmp files?

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,859

Re: Where Temporary files is stored?

Pacman#Cleaning_the_package_cache see also FHS and XDG.

Slithery

Administrator

From: Norfolk, UK

Registered: 2013-12-01

Posts: 5,776

Re: Where Temporary files is stored?

By default they are stored in /tmp. If you haven't configured it otherwise then this is a RAM disk which is cleared every boot.

For cached packages (which aren't temporary files) read...
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pa … kage_cache

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No, it didn't "fix" anything. It just shifted the brokeness one space to the right. - jasonwryan
Closing -- for deletion; Banning -- for muppetry. - jasonwryan

aur - dotfiles

Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 30,456

Website

Re: Where Temporary files is stored?

As can be seen by the very different answers above, your question is not well defined.  Or more accurately, it is but I doubt it's what you really intended to ask: does arch linux store temporary files?  No.  Period.

Many programs that you may be running in your arch linux system, however, will store temporary files.  Other processes will create log files that can be periodically cleared/trimmed.  And these can all be in a variety of locations.  So which files are you referring to?  Why do you think your storage is filling up?  What directories are filling most? (hint use tools like du/ncdu).

Last edited by Trilby (2020-03-14 13:15:39)

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"UNIX is simple and coherent" - Dennis Ritchie; "GNU's Not Unix" - Richard Stallman

Zod

Member

From: Hoosiertucky

Registered: 2019-03-10

Posts: 636

Re: Where Temporary files is stored?

I don't think there is a good answer to your question.

$ printenv

Doesn't produce any $TEMP or $TMP variable.

# systemd-path

produces..

temporary: /tmp
temporary-large: /var/tmp
system-state-cache: /var/cache
system-state-spool: /var/spool
user-state-cache: /root/.cache

Among other things.

My understanding is that /tmp is used for files that are not supposed to survive a reboot, that /var/tmp is for files that could survive a reboot and that */.cache or cache it just depends.

So my best guess would be /tmp, /var/tmp, /var/spool, /var/cache and ~/.cache.

Some applications, like mpd and pulseaudio make temporary (or semi temporary files) where ever you point them to (that 's if you have write rights) like ~/.config/mpd.

I've read that bleach-bit can be used to clean temporary files if configured properly (but I wouldn't do that myself).

Last edited by Zod (2020-03-14 14:50:06)

Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 30,456

Website

Re: Where Temporary files is stored?

Using bleach-bit to address an ill-defined question vaguely referring to "temporary files" would be like recommending the military nuke a city after a single home-owner called a pest control agency because they were concerned about possible bugs in their home.  How about we actually figure out if there is an infestation first, then identify what it is and then take appropriate measures.

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"UNIX is simple and coherent" - Dennis Ritchie; "GNU's Not Unix" - Richard Stallman