| name | cleanup |
| description | Reclaim disk space by cleaning build artifacts, dependency caches, and benchmark repos. Auto-invokes before merges, releases, and after big branch switches — or whenever the user asks to clean up, free space, or trim the repo. |
cleanup
Reclaim disk space eaten by Rust build artifacts, node_modules, benchmark repos, and other transient files.
When to use
Auto-invoke proactively when:
- About to merge a PR or switch to a long-lived branch (
main, release/*)
- About to run
scripts/release.sh (pairs with the release skill)
- After finishing a feature branch and before checking out a new one
- The user hasn't cleaned up in a while and disk space matters
- The user says "clean up", "free space", "trim", "slim down", "cargo clean", or "this repo is huge"
Do NOT auto-invoke when:
- In the middle of an active compile/test cycle (you'd delete artifacts being used)
- On a CI runner (their cleanup is different)
What you'll clean
Tier 1 — Always safe (rebuild in seconds)
| Target | Typical size | Command |
|---|
| Debug build artifacts | ~16 GB | cargo clean |
| Release build artifacts | ~1.2 GB | (included in cargo clean) |
cargo clean
Note: This wipes all build artifacts (debug + release). The next cargo build or cargo test will recompile from scratch (~2-5 min). Only run this when the user isn't mid-compile.
Tier 2 — Safe if you're not benchmarking
| Target | Typical size | Command |
|---|
| Benchmark repos | ~1.1 GB | rm -rf benchmarks/repos/ |
| Benchmark results | ~2.4 MB | rm -rf benchmarks/rust-results/ |
rm -rf benchmarks/repos/ benchmarks/rust-results/
These are cloned/generated on demand by the benchmark runner. Safe to delete anytime.
Tier 3 — Only if you're not working on the website
| Target | Typical size | Command |
|---|
website/node_modules/ | ~272 MB | rm -rf website/node_modules/ |
website/dist/ | ~6 MB | rm -rf website/dist/ |
website/.next/ | varies | rm -rf website/.next/ |
rm -rf website/node_modules/ website/dist/ website/.next/
Reinstall with cd website && npm install.
Tier 4 — SDK build artifacts
| Target | Typical size | Command |
|---|
sdks/rust/target/ | ~94 MB | cd sdks/rust && cargo clean |
sdks/typescript/node_modules/ | ~32 MB | rm -rf sdks/typescript/node_modules/ |
Tier 5 — Git metadata (rarely needed)
| Target | Typical size | Command |
|---|
.git/ repack | varies | git gc --aggressive --prune=now |
Only if the user explicitly asks. Git history is precious.
Workflow
-
Show the current footprint. Run:
du -sh . target/ benchmarks/repos/ website/node_modules/ sdks/
Give the user a quick summary: "Repo is X GB, Y GB is reclaimable."
-
Pick the right tier. Ask what they want cleaned, or suggest based on context:
- Before merge/release → Tier 1 + Tier 2 ("full clean, you'll rebuild after switch")
- Just freeing space → Tier 1 ("cargo clean gets you 17 GB back")
- Not benchmarking or working on website → Tiers 1-3 ("kitchen sink")
- Maximum nuclear → All tiers
-
Confirm before deleting. Show exactly what will be removed and how much space it'll free. Get a yes/no.
-
Run the cleanup. Execute the appropriate commands.
-
Show the after state. Run du -sh . again and report the savings.
Typical savings
| Scenario | Before | After | Saved |
|---|
cargo clean only | 19 GB | ~2 GB | ~17 GB |
| Full clean (all tiers) | 19 GB | ~35 MB | ~19 GB |
| Just benchmarks + website | 19 GB | ~17.6 GB | ~1.4 GB |
Safety rules
- Never delete
.git/ or any git refs
- Never delete tracked source files — only build output and generated/cloned content
- Never run
cargo clean during an active cargo build/test — check with the user first
- Always confirm before deleting, even for "obviously safe" targets
- If the user is mid-work on a benchmark or website feature, skip those tiers
