| name | mole-uninstall |
| description | Use Mole to completely remove macOS applications including their support files, caches, and preferences. Run this skill whenever the user mentions uninstalling apps, removing applications, app cleanup, deleting software, or using `mo uninstall`. Covers app scanning, name-based matching, interactive selection, dry-run mode, permanent deletion, and listing installable apps. |
Mole Uninstall Skill
Author: Anton Gulin · Tool: opencode-skill-creator · GitHub: @antongulin · Registry: skills.sh
Use this skill when you need to help a user remove macOS applications completely using Mole's uninstall command.
Overview
mo uninstall finds all installed applications (including Homebrew casks), scans their sizes and last-used dates, and removes them along with leftovers.
Command Reference
Basic Usage
mo uninstall
mo uninstall AppName
mo uninstall Safari Chrome
mo uninstall --dry-run AppName
mo uninstall --list
mo uninstall --permanent AppName
mo uninstall --debug
mo uninstall --help
Flags
| Flag | Short | Description |
|---|
--dry-run | -n | Preview app uninstall without modifying files |
--permanent | — | Use rm -rf instead of Trash (not recoverable) |
--list | — | List all detected apps in table or JSON format |
--debug | — | Show detailed operation logs |
--help | -h | Show help |
App Name Arguments
Pass app names after flags. Matching is case-insensitive and supports:
- Exact match —
mo uninstall Slack
- Substring match —
mo uninstall slack (matches Slack, Slack Helper, etc.)
- Multiple apps —
mo uninstall Slack Discord Zoom
If a name matches multiple apps, all are included.
Workflow Patterns
Pattern 1: List All Uninstallable Apps
mo uninstall --list
Shows a table with: NAME, BUNDLE ID, UNINSTALL NAME (Homebrew cask name if available), and SIZE. Output is JSON when piped:
mo uninstall --list | jq '.[] | select(.source == "Homebrew")'
Pattern 2: Preview Before Uninstalling (Recommended)
mo uninstall --dry-run AppName
Shows what files would be affected without making changes.
Pattern 3: Interactive Uninstall (No Arguments)
mo uninstall
- Scans all applications from
/Applications, ~/Applications, /Volumes/*/Applications
- Shows a paginated TUI with size and last-used info
- User selects apps with Space, confirms with Enter
- Shows uninstall summary with confirmation
- Moves apps to Trash by default
Pattern 4: Direct Uninstall by Name
mo uninstall Slack
- Scans apps
- Matches "Slack" against display names and
.app bundle names
- Shows matched apps with size and last-used
- Prompts for confirmation
- Proceeds with uninstall
Pattern 5: Permanent Deletion (Skip Trash)
mo uninstall --permanent AppName
Files are deleted with rm -rf instead of being moved to Trash. Not recoverable. Only use when the user explicitly confirms they want permanent deletion.
Uninstall Behavior
- Default mode: Move to Trash (recoverable). Controlled by
MOLE_DELETE_MODE=trash
- Permanent mode:
MOLE_DELETE_MODE=permanent — direct rm -rf
- Metadata cache: App metadata (size, last used) cached at
~/.cache/mole/uninstall_app_metadata_v1 for 7 days
- Scan locations:
/Applications, ~/Applications, Input Methods directories, /Volumes/*/Applications
- Protected apps: System apps and background-only apps are automatically excluded
- Homebrew cask detection: If an app was installed via Homebrew, the cask name is shown as the uninstall name
Safety Guidance
- Default Trash mode is safe — files can be recovered
--permanent is irreversible — warn the user before using- Always suggest
--dry-run or --list before destructive operations
- Background-only apps (e.g., login items, system services) are never shown
- Apps in
/System are excluded automatically
- Bundle ID protection exists via
should_protect_from_uninstall — system-critical bundle IDs are skipped
Exit Codes
0: Success or user cancelled130: Interrupted (Ctrl+C)
Related Commands
mo status — Check disk space before/after uninstallmo clean — Clean up leftover app data after uninstallmo optimize — Refresh services after removing large apps
