Dev Clean Mac
Frees disk on a Mac dev machine by deleting caches and build artifacts that
regenerate on demand. Tuned for this layout — $HOME/repos (with myoss/zfb),
a shared Cargo target dir, pnpm/npm caches — but every step is existence-guarded,
so it runs safely on any Mac with a similar structure (e.g. a second machine).
Why a script and not ad-hoc rm: on APFS, deleting files frees nothing while
local Time Machine snapshots still reference the data — df keeps showing the old
number. The script ends by thinning those snapshots (tmutil thinlocalsnapshots),
which is what makes the reclaimed space materialize. Skipping that step is the #1
reason a cleanup "does nothing."
Workflow
The script lives at scripts/clean-mac.sh in this skill directory.
Dry run first — show the user what will be freed, delete nothing:
bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --dry-run
Relay the per-path sizes and the measured total to the user.
Confirm node_modules. By default the script deletes all node_modules
under $HOME/repos (reinstallable via pnpm/npm install). If the user is
mid-work on a project, pass --keep-node-modules to preserve them.
Run for real:
bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --run
# or, to keep node_modules:
bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --run --keep-node-modules
The deletions can take a few minutes (millions of small files); it may
auto-background. Report the BEFORE/AFTER df lines it prints.
What it cleans
Cargo: the shared target-dir from $HOME/.cargo/config.toml (defaults to
$HOME/.cargo-target, dominated by zfb), $HOME/.cargo/registry, and every
per-project target/ under $HOME/repos (detected by cargo's CACHEDIR.TAG).
zfb: checked-in release tarballs (zfb-*.tar.gz) and all .zfb-build/ dirs.
node_modules: every one under $HOME/repos (unless --keep-node-modules).
JS caches: pnpm store prune, npm cache clean, $HOME/Library/Caches/pnpm.
OS/app caches: ms-playwright, electron, copilot, $HOME/.cache/codex-runtimes,
Homebrew cache, Adobe/CreativeCloud logs, unavailable iOS simulators.
Downloads: *.dmg / *.pkg installers (re-downloadable).
APFS local snapshots: thinned at the end to release everything above.
What it never touches
Source trees, image/data stashes (e.g. zmod-image-stash), browser profiles,
and app data (Claude/Chrome/Slack containers) — only regenerable caches and
artifacts. Every path is verified to be under $HOME before removal; missing
paths are skipped silently, which is what makes it portable across machines.
Notes
First builds/installs after running are slower (caches re-download, projects
rebuild) — that's the expected trade for the space.
Safe to re-run anytime; all steps are idempotent.
Local Time Machine snapshots are convenience restore points, not your real
backup — thinning them does not affect Time Machine backups on disk/network.
1---2name: dev-clean-mac3description: Reclaim disk space on a Mac dev machine by deleting regenerable dev caches (Cargo/zfb build output, node_modules, pnpm/npm caches, OS/app caches) and thinning APFS local snapshots so the space actually frees. Manual-only — invoke with /dev-clean-mac when a Mac is low on disk.4---56# Dev Clean Mac78Frees disk on a Mac dev machine by deleting caches and build artifacts that9regenerate on demand. Tuned for this layout — `$HOME/repos` (with `myoss/zfb`),10a shared Cargo target dir, pnpm/npm caches — but every step is existence-guarded,11so it runs safely on any Mac with a similar structure (e.g. a second machine).1213**Why a script and not ad-hoc `rm`:** on APFS, deleting files frees nothing while14local Time Machine snapshots still reference the data — `df` keeps showing the old15number. The script ends by thinning those snapshots (`tmutil thinlocalsnapshots`),16which is what makes the reclaimed space materialize. Skipping that step is the #117reason a cleanup "does nothing."1819## Workflow2021The script lives at `scripts/clean-mac.sh` in this skill directory.22231. **Dry run first** — show the user what will be freed, delete nothing:2425 ```bash26 bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --dry-run27 ```2829 Relay the per-path sizes and the measured total to the user.30312. **Confirm node_modules.** By default the script deletes **all** `node_modules`3233 under `$HOME/repos` (reinstallable via `pnpm/npm install`). If the user is34 mid-work on a project, pass `--keep-node-modules` to preserve them.35363. **Run for real:**3738 ```bash39 bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --run40 # or, to keep node_modules:41 bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/dev-clean-mac/scripts/clean-mac.sh" --run --keep-node-modules42 ```4344 The deletions can take a few minutes (millions of small files); it may45 auto-background. Report the BEFORE/AFTER `df` lines it prints.4647## What it cleans4849- **Cargo:** the shared `target-dir` from `$HOME/.cargo/config.toml` (defaults to5051 `$HOME/.cargo-target`, dominated by zfb), `$HOME/.cargo/registry`, and every52 per-project `target/` under `$HOME/repos` (detected by cargo's `CACHEDIR.TAG`).5354- **zfb:** checked-in release tarballs (`zfb-*.tar.gz`) and all `.zfb-build/` dirs.55- **node_modules:** every one under `$HOME/repos` (unless `--keep-node-modules`).56- **JS caches:** `pnpm store prune`, `npm cache clean`, `$HOME/Library/Caches/pnpm`.57- **OS/app caches:** ms-playwright, electron, copilot, `$HOME/.cache/codex-runtimes`,5859 Homebrew cache, Adobe/CreativeCloud logs, unavailable iOS simulators.6061- **Downloads:** `*.dmg` / `*.pkg` installers (re-downloadable).62- **APFS local snapshots:** thinned at the end to release everything above.6364## What it never touches6566Source trees, image/data stashes (e.g. `zmod-image-stash`), browser profiles,67and app data (Claude/Chrome/Slack containers) — only regenerable caches and68artifacts. Every path is verified to be under `$HOME` before removal; missing69paths are skipped silently, which is what makes it portable across machines.7071## Notes7273- First builds/installs after running are slower (caches re-download, projects7475 rebuild) — that's the expected trade for the space.7677- Safe to re-run anytime; all steps are idempotent.78- Local Time Machine snapshots are convenience restore points, not your real7980 backup — thinning them does not affect Time Machine backups on disk/network.
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