# Gigaflush

> Gigaflush is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) menu-bar / system-tray app for macOS, Windows and Linux. It finds rebuildable developer folders across your projects (node_modules, Rust target, Flutter build and .dart_tool, Python .pytest_cache/.mypy_cache/.ruff_cache, Swift .build, Gradle .gradle, Maven target), shows their sizes, and deletes the ones you choose after a review step. It also finds idle dev servers left running on localhost ports and stops them.

Folders are only matched when the project's marker file (package.json, Cargo.toml, pubspec.yaml, pyproject.toml, Package.swift, build.gradle, pom.xml) is beside them. Source code, lockfiles, virtual environments, global caches and SDKs are never touched. Deletion is permanent, not a move to Trash. There is no telemetry or account. Every build is free on GitHub Releases.

## Download
- [Download for macOS, Windows and Linux](https://gigaflush.com/#download)
- [Gigaflush for macOS](https://gigaflush.com/mac): Lives in the menu bar. Free universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel. Follows your system appearance.
- [Gigaflush for Windows](https://gigaflush.com/windows): Lives in the system tray. Deletes directly, without the Recycle Bin or Explorer's progress dialog. Free installer for Windows 10 and 11.
- [Gigaflush for Linux](https://gigaflush.com/linux): Free AppImage, .deb and .rpm for x86_64. Lives in the system tray. Open source under GPL-3.0.
- [All releases on GitHub](https://github.com/abhinavcdev/gigaflush/releases/latest)
- [Source code](https://github.com/abhinavcdev/gigaflush)

## Guides
- [Clean up node_modules](https://gigaflush.com/clean/node-modules): Yes, node_modules is safe to delete. It only contains packages installed from package.json and your lockfile; npm install, pnpm install or yarn recreates it exactly.
- [Clean up Rust target folders](https://gigaflush.com/clean/rust-target): Yes, Rust's target folder is safe to delete. It holds compiled artifacts and incremental caches; the next cargo build recreates it, just more slowly the first time.
- [Clean up Flutter build and .dart_tool](https://gigaflush.com/clean/flutter-build): Yes, Flutter's build/ and .dart_tool/ folders are safe to delete. flutter clean removes both; flutter pub get and your next build recreate them.
- [Clean up Python tool caches](https://gigaflush.com/clean/python-cache): Yes, .pytest_cache, .mypy_cache and .ruff_cache are safe to delete. pytest, mypy and Ruff rebuild them on their next run. Virtual environments (.venv) are not caches; keep them.
- [Clean up Swift .build folders](https://gigaflush.com/clean/swift-build): Yes, a Swift package's .build folder is safe to delete. swift build recreates it, re-resolving and recompiling dependencies.
- [Clean up project .gradle caches](https://gigaflush.com/clean/gradle-cache): Yes, a project's .gradle folder is safe to delete when no build is running. Gradle recreates it on the next build. The global ~/.gradle folder is also rebuildable but forces a full re-download.
- [Clean up Maven target folders](https://gigaflush.com/clean/maven-target): Yes, Maven's target folder is safe to delete. It contains compiled classes and packaged artifacts; mvn package rebuilds it.

## Articles
- [How to delete all node_modules folders (macOS, Linux and Windows)](https://gigaflush.com/blog/delete-all-node-modules): Copy-paste commands to find, measure and delete every node_modules folder under a directory, plus the safety checks that keep you from deleting the wrong thing.
- [Deleting node_modules on Windows takes forever. Here's why, and how to fix it](https://gigaflush.com/blog/delete-node-modules-windows-fast): Why Explorer crawls deleting node_modules on Windows (tiny files, Defender, Recycle Bin, long paths) and faster fixes: rd, rimraf, robocopy and Dev Drive.
- [flutter clean, build/ and .dart_tool: what's safe to delete in a Flutter project](https://gigaflush.com/blog/flutter-clean-build-dart-tool): Which Flutter and Dart folders are generated, what flutter clean removes, and the other big Flutter caches: pub cache, Gradle, CocoaPods and Xcode.
- [Free up disk space on a Mac: the developer's checklist](https://gigaflush.com/blog/free-up-disk-space-mac-developers): Where developer disk space goes on macOS (Xcode DerivedData, simulators, Docker, Homebrew, package caches, build folders) and how to safely reclaim each.
- [npkill vs kondo vs Gigaflush: which project cleaner should you use?](https://gigaflush.com/blog/npkill-vs-kondo-vs-gigaflush): An honest comparison of npkill, kondo and Gigaflush for deleting node_modules and build folders: interface, ecosystems, safety, and when to use each.
- [Port 3000 already in use? Find and stop the ghost dev servers](https://gigaflush.com/blog/port-already-in-use-ghost-dev-servers): EADDRINUSE? A dev server from a closed terminal or coding agent is still listening. Find what's on a port on macOS, Linux and Windows and stop it safely.
- [Python, Gradle and Maven caches: what you can safely delete](https://gigaflush.com/blog/python-gradle-maven-caches): Which Python, Gradle and Maven folders are disposable: .pytest_cache, .mypy_cache, .ruff_cache, __pycache__, venvs, .gradle and Maven's target.
- [Why is my Rust target folder so big? (And how to clean it)](https://gigaflush.com/blog/rust-target-folder-size): What lives in Cargo's target directory, why it grows to gigabytes, and how to shrink it safely: cargo clean, cargo-sweep and a shared CARGO_TARGET_DIR.
- [Vibe coding is eating your disk. Here's where the gigabytes go.](https://gigaflush.com/blog/vibe-coding-disk-space): AI coding tools make new projects free, but each ships its own node_modules, target or build folder. How vibe coders run out of disk, and how to get it back.
- [Why is node_modules so big? A practical look inside](https://gigaflush.com/blog/why-is-node-modules-so-big): Transitive deps, platform binaries, duplicate versions and per-project copies: what fills node_modules, how to inspect it, and how npm, pnpm and Yarn differ.

## FAQ
- **Is it really free?** Yes. Every build for macOS, Windows and Linux is free to download, and the source is GPL-3.0 on GitHub. There's no account, license key or trial. If it helps you, there's a tip jar.
- **Why does macOS or Windows warn me on first launch?** The builds aren't code-signed by Apple or Microsoft, which costs money every year. On a Mac, open it once, then click Open Anyway in System Settings → Privacy & Security. On Windows, click More info, then Run anyway. Every build comes from GitHub Actions with published SHA-256 checksums, and you can always build it from source yourself.
- **What does the Servers tab stop?** Only your own Node, Bun, Deno, Python, Ruby and PHP dev servers that have nothing connected to their port, have used almost no CPU, and were orphaned by a closed terminal or agent or have run for 6+ hours. Databases, Docker, editors, agents and language servers are never listed. Each one is re-checked, then asked to exit like Ctrl+C. Available on macOS and Linux; Windows is next.
- **Does it move files to the Trash?** No. Cleanup is permanent, which is what actually frees the space. That's why every removal goes through a review sheet listing exact paths and rebuild steps first.
- **What will it never touch?** Source code, lockfiles, virtual environments, global caches, SDKs, and generic dist/ or build/ folders without a matching project file. Inaccessible directories are skipped.
- **How do updates work?** Gigaflush checks GitHub for a newer version at most twice a day and shows a small banner. Click it to download the new version from the site. Your settings carry over.
- **Does Gigaflush collect any data?** No telemetry, no analytics, no account. The update check is a plain request to GitHub's public API. Scanning and cleanup happen entirely on your machine.
- **How accurate are the sizes?** They're logical file-size estimates. Actual disk savings can differ with filesystem compression, clones, or hard links.
- **Something isn't working.** Open an issue on GitHub with your OS and Gigaflush version, or email support.

## Optional
- [Support](https://gigaflush.com/support)
- [Privacy](https://gigaflush.com/privacy)
- [RSS](https://gigaflush.com/rss.xml)