Keep Learning, by Lucas Húngaro Knowledge is never enough

Reclaiming disk space from MacPorts

26 May 2009 – São Paulo, SP – Brazil

I use and like MacPorts for some software that have a too cumbersome/bugged compilation process. Many people use it extensively and others just dislike and ignore it.

A frequent complain about MacPorts is that it takes too much disk space (since it installs its own libraries instead of using the system ones). This is a valid concern and there’s a way to mitigate it. MacPorts allows you to clear files used to build a port, namely work files, distribution files and archives. To remove all of them from all installed ports, execute the following command:


sudo port clean --all all

This will clean all kinds of file for all ports. The syntax is simple. Let’s say you want to clear only work files from the port icu:


sudo port clean --work icu

More information can be obtained on the port command man files.

Another thing you can do to reclaim some disk space is uninstall inactive ports:


sudo port uninstall inactive

These two commands worked very well for me, managing to reduce MacPorts directory (/opt/local/var/macports) size from 1.3 Gb to 730 Mb.

Reclaiming disk space from MacPorts

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