Speeding up Ubuntu: How to remove junk files

Remove Residual Config packages

Residual Config packages are usually dependency packages that are left behind after you uninstall a package from your machine.

1. Go to System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager.
2. On the bottom left hand corner of the window, click the Status button.
3. In the list above the Sections, Status, Search, and Custom buttons, you choose "Residual config".
4. Select all packages (ctrl+A) and mark them for Complete removal. Then hit the
5. Apply button

Clear cached packages
Over time Ubuntu's software system can accumulate unused software packages or temporary files. These temporary files (called caches) contain packages that you have ever installed.

The clean command will remove every single cached item. In the terminal run:

sudo apt-get clean

The autoclean command only removes only removes cached items that can no longer be downloaded (this items are often unnecessary). In the terminal run:

sudo apt-get autoclean

Remove supporting packages
Packages can also become unused over time. If a package was installed to assist with running another program - and that program was subsequently removed - you no longer need the supporting package. You can remove it with autoremove. In the terminal run:

sudo apt-get autoremove

Remove unnecessary locale data
Install localepurge

sudo apt-get install localepurge

Once the insallation is complete, you will see a bunch of abbreviations on it:

en
es
de
rus
fr
etc...

Select the abbreviations of the languages that you speak and use with Ubuntu, ignoring the capitalized ones. For example, I speak english, so I would select the "en" abbreviation. A russian speaker would select the "rus" abbreviation. So on and so forth... Then click next. All done!

Remove "orphaned" packages

"deborphan" determines which packages have no other packages depending on their installation, and shows you a list of these packages. It is most useful when finding libraries, but it can be used on packages in all sections...


Install "deborphan":

sudo apt-get install deborphan

Remove orphaned packages

sudo deborphan | xargs sudo apt-get -y remove --purge