tmpreaper ☆

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Description:
Clean up files in directories based on their age

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: cleanup tmp filesystem maintenance utility

Install: brew install tmpreaper

About:
Tmpreaper is a utility that recursively deletes files based on their age, specifically their atime (access time). It is designed to automatically clean up temporary directories and other locations where old files can accumulate, helping to free up disk space. The tool offers fine-grained control over its operation, including various time thresholds and safety mechanisms to prevent accidental data loss.

Key Features:

Deletes files based on access time (atime), modification time (mtime), or change time (ctime)
Supports recursive directory traversal with configurable depth
Includes safety features like testing mode and age-based thresholds
Allows for pattern matching to include or exclude specific files

Use Cases:

Automated cleanup of /tmp and /var/tmp directories on servers
Managing log rotation and preventing log files from consuming all disk space
Periodic purging of user-specific cache or temporary data directories

Alternatives:

find – The `find` command is a more general-purpose tool that can replicate tmpreaper's functionality with more complex scripts, but tmpreaper is purpose-built and simpler for this specific task.
logrotate – Logrotate is specialized for managing log files, offering features like compression and mailing. Tmpreaper is better for general-purpose temporary file cleanup based on access time.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 12, 2024 9:21pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	7b1388a2