macOS System Data Cleaner

A Node.js tool for analyzing and cleaning macOS system data storage. This tool helps you identify what's taking up space in your system storage and safely remove unnecessary files.

Installation

1. Make sure you have Node.js installed on your Mac

2. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/macos-cleaner.git
cd macos-cleaner

3. Install dependencies:

npm install

Usage

The tool provides three main commands:

1. Scan System Data

Shows all system data locations and their sizes:

sudo node app.mjs scan

This will analyze common system data locations including:

• /private/var/db/diagnostics (System diagnostics)
• /private/var/folders (Temporary files)
• /private/var/log (System logs)
• /Library/Caches (System caches)
• And more...

2. Inspect Specific Locations

View contents and sizes of a specific directory:

sudo node app.mjs inspect /path/to/directory

Example:

sudo node app.mjs inspect /Library/Caches

3. Remove Items

Remove specific files or directories:

sudo node app.mjs remove /path/to/item

Example:

sudo node app.mjs remove /Library/Caches/some-folder

Safety Features

The tool includes several safety measures:

• Protected paths list to prevent removal of critical system files
• Recursive size calculation before removal
• Size reporting after successful removal
• Skip handling for inaccessible files
• Error handling for insufficient permissions

Protected Locations

The following locations are protected from removal:

• /System
• /Library/LaunchDaemons
• /Library/LaunchAgents
• /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
• /System/Library/LaunchAgents

Best Practices

1. Always run scan first to understand your system's storage usage
2. Use inspect to examine contents before removal
3. Be cautious when removing items - make sure you know what they are
4. Run with sudo to ensure proper access to system directories
5. Consider backing up important data before removing large amounts of files

Common Issues

1. "Permission denied" errors:

   • Make sure to run the commands with sudo
   • Some system files are protected by SIP (System Integrity Protection)

2. "Cannot remove protected system path":

   • The file/directory is in the protected paths list
   • This is a safety feature to prevent system damage

Warning

While this tool includes safety checks, use it at your own risk. Be especially careful when removing files from system locations. When in doubt:

1. Research what the files/directories are used for
2. Consider using macOS's built-in storage management tools
3. Back up important data before making changes

Limitations

• Cannot remove SIP-protected files
• Some system files may require additional permissions
• Total sizes may be approximate due to rapidly changing system files

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.