mac-software-storage-cleanup

name	mac-software-storage-cleanup
description	Use when auditing macOS app storage, cleaning priority caches, or recommending reclaimable disk space.

Mac Software Storage Cleanup

Overview

Audit installed software and storage usage on macOS, produce prioritized cleanup recommendations, and execute low-risk cleanup only after confirmation. The skill separates app inventory, cache cleanup, simulator data, and medium-risk application data so destructive actions remain explicit and reversible where possible.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user:

• Wants to inspect software installed under /Applications, ~/Applications, Homebrew Formula, or Homebrew Cask
• Wants storage usage ranked by size across apps and common cache locations
• Wants to clean low-risk paths such as ~/Library/Caches and ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator
• Wants reclaim recommendations with low-risk and medium-risk cleanup separated clearly

Do not use

Do not use this skill when:

• The user wants to uninstall one specific app instead of doing storage governance
• The user asks to delete application data directly without explicit confirmation
• The environment is not macOS or the target paths do not apply

Instructions

1. Run scripts/report_sizes.sh first to inventory install sources and major storage consumers.
2. Classify cleanup candidates by priority:
   • Priority 1: caches and simulator data, generally low risk.
   • Priority 2: application data directories, report only and never delete by default.
   • Priority 3: low-yield small caches or logs.
3. Reports must show category totals, counts, and Top N largest entries.
4. To inspect priority-2 candidates, run scripts/list_priority2_candidates.sh [target_dir] [TopN].
5. Only after explicit user confirmation, run scripts/cleanup_priority1.sh or an equivalent low-risk cleanup action.
6. After cleanup, recompute usage and show a before -> after -> reclaimed summary.

Workflow

Inventory install sources and storage usage
  -> identify high-value cleanup targets
  -> present prioritized recommendations
  -> wait for user confirmation
  -> run low-risk cleanup
  -> verify reclaimed space

Run commands

bash scripts/report_sizes.sh
bash scripts/list_priority2_candidates.sh ~/Library/Application\\ Support 20
bash scripts/cleanup_priority1.sh

Output requirements

• Show counts and total size for each path category
• List Top N largest consumers so the user can decide quickly
• Every cleanup action must include before-and-after comparison
• Do not delete priority-2 directories without explicit user approval

Boundaries

• Do not use destructive git commands
• Do not delete unconfirmed application data
• If a script fails, fall back to read-only inspection or the smallest safe cleanup scope