mole-uninstall

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                          # Interactive TUI: scan, select apps, confirm delete
mo uninstall AppName                  # Directly uninstall a specific app by name
mo uninstall Safari Chrome             # Uninstall multiple apps at once
mo uninstall --dry-run AppName        # Preview what would be removed
mo uninstall --list                   # List all uninstallable apps (table or JSON)
mo uninstall --permanent AppName      # Delete permanently (skip Trash)
mo uninstall --debug                  # Show detailed operation logs
mo uninstall --help                   # Show 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

1. Scans all applications from /Applications, ~/Applications, /Volumes/*/Applications
2. Shows a paginated TUI with size and last-used info
3. User selects apps with Space, confirms with Enter
4. Shows uninstall summary with confirmation
5. Moves apps to Trash by default

Pattern 4: Direct Uninstall by Name

mo uninstall Slack

1. Scans apps
2. Matches "Slack" against display names and .app bundle names
3. Shows matched apps with size and last-used
4. Prompts for confirmation
5. 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 cancelled
• 130: Interrupted (Ctrl+C)

Related Commands

• mo status — Check disk space before/after uninstall
• mo clean — Clean up leftover app data after uninstall
• mo optimize — Refresh services after removing large apps