# ByteSweep for Linux: disk cleaner and disk usage analyzer > ByteSweep for Linux clears package caches, old snap versions, unused Flatpak runtimes and the system journal, finds duplicates and big files, updates apps from every package source and gets back deleted files. Native .deb and .rpm packages, free to try, $29.99 once. Canonical: https://bytesweep.app/linux.html Last updated: 2026-10-26 ByteSweep 3.1.0 for Linux ## A Linux disk cleaner that asks first. ByteSweep shows what is filling your disk, from package caches to the system journal. You choose what goes, and the files it cleans can be put back for 7 days. [Download .deb](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxDeb) [Download .rpm](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxRpm) .deb for Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint and Pop!_OS. .rpm for Fedora and openSUSE. 64-bit Intel and AMD. Free to try for 3 days. For ARM computers: [.deb for arm64](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxDebArm) · [.rpm for aarch64](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxRpmArm) ### What it does on Linux Pick a part, or keep scrolling. - Free up space - Storage - Duplicates - Apps - Startup - Updates - Protections - Live monitoring - Recovery - Library - Install ### Clear what Linux leaves behind Each thing ByteSweep finds says what it is and what removing it changes. - Packages apt, dnf, pacman and zypper downloaded and already installed - Old snap versions and Flatpak runtimes no app uses - The system journal, trimmed to its last two weeks - Browser caches, crash reports and picture previews - Developer downloads and build folders [More about freeing up space](https://bytesweep.app/junk-cleaner.html) ### See what is using your disk A picture of the whole disk, so the big things are easy to spot. - Space by kind: system, apps, your files, developer data, caches - A map of every folder - Your biggest files, largest first - How the disk filled up over 30 days [More about the disk usage analyzer](https://bytesweep.app/linux-disk-usage-analyzer.html) ### Find what you have twice ByteSweep finds the second copies. You pick the one that stays, and the rest go to the Trash. - Identical files, whatever they are called - Photos that look alike - The biggest, oldest files [More about duplicates](https://bytesweep.app/duplicate-file-finder.html) ### Remove the apps you no longer use Every installed app with its size, so the forgotten ones are easy to find. - Apps from your package manager, snap and Flatpak - The large ones and the ones you have not opened in a while - Removed when you choose, one app or several [More about removing apps](https://bytesweep.app/app-uninstaller.html) ### Choose what starts when you sign in A computer that starts fewer things is ready sooner. - Every app that starts with your session, and how much it slows the start - Entries that point at an app that is gone - An on/off switch for each [More about startup apps](https://bytesweep.app/startup-manager.html) ### Every app update in one list ByteSweep checks your package sources and lists what is out of date. - apt, dnf, pacman and zypper - snap and Flatpak - System updates and app updates, side by side [More about app updates](https://bytesweep.app/app-updater.html) ### See what Linux reports about your protections One page for what the system reports. ByteSweep is not an antivirus, and says so. - The firewall, Secure Boot and disk encryption - Pending system updates - Which apps are using your camera and microphone [More about the privacy check](https://bytesweep.app/privacy-check.html) ### Know what your computer is doing Right now, without opening a terminal. - Processor, memory, disk, network and GPU - Apps listed with the busiest first [More about live monitoring](https://bytesweep.app/system-monitor.html) ### Get deleted files back ByteSweep looks for deleted files on your computer and on drives you plug in. - The Trash - USB sticks, SD cards and external drives - Disk images (.img, .iso, .dd) [More about file recovery](https://bytesweep.app/file-recovery.html) ### Describe the file. ByteSweep finds it. Pictures, videos, music, documents and downloads in one list, searched with a sentence in English. - “pdfs from gmail last month” or “videos over 1 gb” - Downloads grouped by where they came from - Pictures found by colour, or by a description with an optional download [More about the Library](https://bytesweep.app/find-files-by-description.html) ### What is taking up space on a Linux computer? Most of it is not in your home folder. These are the places ByteSweep measures and explains. #### Package caches Packages apt, dnf, pacman and zypper downloaded to install and keep afterwards. Cleared with the package manager's own command. #### Old snap versions snap keeps earlier versions of each snap after it updates. #### Unused Flatpak runtimes Runtimes left behind once no installed app needs them. #### The system journal The system's logs, trimmed to their last two weeks. #### Browser caches and previews Files browsers keep to load faster, crash reports and picture previews, which rebuild themselves. #### Developer folders Developer downloads and build folders, such as `node_modules` and Rust `target` folders, and the caches of npm, Cargo, Gradle and Go. ### Everything in ByteSweep for Linux - **Storage analyzer.** A picture of any drive or folder, so the big things are easy to spot. - ** [Duplicates and big files.](https://bytesweep.app/duplicate-file-finder.html)** Exact copies, similar photos, and the biggest, oldest files. - ** [Apps.](https://bytesweep.app/app-uninstaller.html)** See every installed app with its size, and remove the ones you no longer use. - ** [Updates.](https://bytesweep.app/app-updater.html)** apt, dnf, pacman, zypper, snap and Flatpak in one list. - ** [Startup.](https://bytesweep.app/startup-manager.html)** What starts when you sign in, each with an on/off switch. - ** [Live monitoring.](https://bytesweep.app/system-monitor.html)** Processor, memory, disk, network and GPU, and the apps using the most. - ** [Recovery.](https://bytesweep.app/file-recovery.html)** Get deleted files back from USB sticks and SD cards. - ** [The Library.](https://bytesweep.app/find-files-by-description.html)** Find a file by describing it, such as pdfs from gmail last month. - **Protections.** What Linux reports about the firewall and other protections, and where you change them. - **Send to your devices.** Files to your phone or another computer on the same Wi-Fi, never through the internet. - **File manager menu.** Right-click a folder to look inside it with ByteSweep. - ** [Top bar.](https://bytesweep.app/mac-notch-app.html)** An optional panel at the top of the screen with your readings, on X11 and on GNOME under Wayland. [See everything ByteSweep does](https://bytesweep.app/features.html) ### Install ByteSweep on Linux One package for your distribution, installed with the package manager you already use. It takes about a minute. #### Which file do I need? - **Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, elementary OS:** the .deb. `bytesweep_3.1.0_amd64.deb`, or `bytesweep_3.1.0_arm64.deb` on an ARM computer. - **Fedora, openSUSE:** the .rpm. `bytesweep-3.1.0-1.x86_64.rpm`, or `bytesweep-3.1.0-1.aarch64.rpm` on an ARM computer. - Not sure which processor you have? `uname -m` prints `x86_64` for Intel and AMD, `aarch64` for ARM. #### Ubuntu, Debian and their family #### Download the .deb [Download the .deb](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxDeb) ([arm64](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxDebArm)). It goes to your Downloads folder. #### Install it from a terminal ``` cd ~/Downloads sudo apt install ./bytesweep_3.1.0_amd64.deb ``` Keep the `./` at the front: it tells apt this is a file, not a package name to look up. apt fetches what ByteSweep needs, such as Avahi for Send to your devices. A note ending in “couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'” is harmless; apt says it whenever it installs a file from your home folder. #### Open ByteSweep Find ByteSweep in your apps, or type `bytesweep` in a terminal. #### Fedora and openSUSE #### Download the .rpm [Download the .rpm](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxRpm) ([aarch64](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxRpmArm)). #### Install it from a terminal On Fedora: ``` cd ~/Downloads sudo dnf install ./bytesweep-3.1.0-1.x86_64.rpm ``` On openSUSE, the package is not signed, so zypper needs to be told it may install it: ``` cd ~/Downloads sudo zypper install --allow-unsigned-rpm ./bytesweep-3.1.0-1.x86_64.rpm ``` #### Open ByteSweep Find ByteSweep in your apps, or type `bytesweep` in a terminal. #### The first time you use it - **No password to start.** ByteSweep runs as you and sees what you can see. It asks for your password, through your desktop's own prompt, only when you clean something that belongs to the system, such as package caches, old snaps or the journal. - **The top bar on GNOME under Wayland.** If you turn the top bar on, ByteSweep installs a small GNOME Shell extension, `notch@bytesweep.app`, in your home folder. It starts after you sign out and back in. - **Send to your devices.** Your other devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi. Devices are found through Avahi; if none show up, check that `avahi-daemon` is running and that a firewall is not blocking your local network. #### Updating Download the newer package and install it the same way. It replaces the old version, and your settings and anything waiting to be put back stay where they are. Installing over Bytesweep 1.x, the older app that lived in `/opt/Bytesweep`, replaces it too. #### Where it puts things - The app in `/usr/lib/bytesweep`, the `bytesweep` command in `/usr/bin`, and its menu entry and icons in `/usr/share`. - Your settings, history, and cleaned files waiting out their 7 days, in `~/.local/share/ByteSweep`. #### Uninstalling ``` sudo apt remove bytesweep # Ubuntu, Debian and their family sudo dnf remove bytesweep # Fedora sudo zypper remove bytesweep # openSUSE ``` That removes the app and leaves your data, so a reinstall picks up where you left off. To remove that too, delete `~/.local/share/ByteSweep`. Anything still waiting to be put back is in there, so put back what you want first. If you used the top bar on GNOME, also run `gnome-extensions uninstall notch@bytesweep.app`. #### Other distributions An AppImage and a Flatpak are on the way. Until then, the .deb and .rpm packages are the ways to install ByteSweep 3.1. ### One price. No subscription. $29.99 (once, for one computer) Free to try for 3 days. One licence covers one computer: a Mac, a Windows PC or a Linux computer. [See pricing](https://bytesweep.app/pricing.html) ### Is it safe? - Your files stay on your computer. No account, and nothing is uploaded. - System and personal folders are never cleaned by a rule. - Files it cleans can be put back for 7 days. Package caches, snaps and the journal are cleared by the system's own commands, and each says so before you clean. - It asks for your password through your desktop's own prompt, and only for what belongs to the system. [How it decides what is safe](https://bytesweep.app/how-it-works.html#safety) ### Questions #### Is ByteSweep a good BleachBit alternative? ByteSweep covers what BleachBit is used for on Linux, such as package caches, browser caches and old logs, and adds a storage analyzer, a duplicate finder, an app uninstaller, app updates and file recovery. Every file it cleans can be put back for 7 days. #### Why does it ask for my password? Package caches, snaps and the system journal belong to the system, so only an administrator can clear them. ByteSweep asks through your desktop's own password prompt, only when you clean one of them. Everything in your home folder needs no password. #### Does it work on Wayland? Yes. On GNOME under Wayland, the top bar uses a small GNOME Shell extension that ByteSweep installs for you, and it starts after you sign in again. #### Does ByteSweep for Linux send data anywhere? No. There is no telemetry and no ByteSweep server. The Updates page talks only to your package sources, licence activation contacts Dodo Payments, our payment provider, and the optional download for describing pictures comes from bytesweep.app. [More questions](https://bytesweep.app/support.html#faq) ### Try it free for 3 days. [Download .deb](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxDeb) [Download .rpm](https://bytesweep.app/api/download?os=linuxRpm) 64-bit Intel, AMD and ARM. [Also on Mac](https://bytesweep.app/mac.html) · [Also on Windows](https://bytesweep.app/windows.html) · [All downloads](https://bytesweep.app/download.html)