Terraform downloads a copy of every provider into every project
Provider binaries are hundreds of megabytes and each project gets its own. The plugin cache setting that stops it, and how to clean up after the fact.
830 guides
Mac storage, explained.
What fills your disk, where it hides, and what is safe to remove. Every guide gives you a way to check it on your own Mac.
Bazel keeps a full output tree per workspace, and it is enormous
The output base holds every build artefact and external dependency for each workspace. Where it is, what bazel clean does, and the flag that matters.
Every frontend project keeps three caches, and only one is node_modules
The .next, .turbo, .vite and node_modules/.cache folders all grow per project. What each does and which are safe to clear in bulk.
Cypress downloads a browser and an app binary per version, and keeps them all
Test tooling installs full browsers outside your project. Where each runner stores them and the prune commands that exist.
The Nix store never deletes anything until you tell it to
Every package version you have ever built or installed stays in /nix/store, kept alive by generations and roots. How to collect garbage safely.
Version managers install runtimes you tried once and kept forever
Every language version manager keeps each install in full. How to list what is on your Mac, and which versions nothing pins.
A local database keeps growing after you stop using the project
Postgres, MySQL and MongoDB data directories persist long after the app that needed them. Where they are and how to remove one safely.
A local cluster is a virtual machine, and it keeps every image you pulled
minikube, kind and Docker Desktop's Kubernetes each keep their own disk. Where they are and how to reclaim the space properly.
A Mac that will not start because the disk is full, and how to get in
A completely full startup disk can stop macOS booting. How to get to a usable state from Recovery, and what to delete first when you do.
Six ways to free space on a Mac without deleting a single file of yours
Eviction, offloading, compaction and caches. Every technique that returns space while keeping everything you own.
The ten minute monthly routine that keeps a Mac from filling up
A short checklist that catches the categories which actually grow, with the commands for each, in the order that gives the most space soonest.
Handing back a work Mac: what to take, what to remove, what not to touch
Personal files, licences and account sessions all need dealing with, and some things are the company's to erase. A clear order for both sides.