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Mole

Deep clean, uninstall, optimize, analyze disk and monitor your Mac. Free open-source CLI, plus a Mac app.

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Mole cleanup results

> 💡 This repo is the free open-source CLI (`mo`). Prefer a native app? [Mole for Mac](https://mole.fit/) is a separate download with review-before-delete cleanup, tested leftovers for 800+ apps, maintenance, disk drill-downs, live status, and fan controls on supported Macs. On Windows, the native app is [Mole for Windows](https://mole.fit/windows). `brew install mole` installs the CLI only. ## Features - **All-in-one CLI toolkit**: Combines CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus style workflows in one terminal command - **Deep clean**: Removes caches, logs, leftovers, and orphaned app data to reclaim disk space - **Smart uninstaller**: Removes apps together with LaunchAgents, preferences, and leftovers - **Disk analyzer**: Visualizes disk usage with an interactive TUI, finds large files, and navigates directories - **System maintenance**: Flushes DNS, refreshes QuickLook/icons, and optimizes system databases - **Live monitoring**: Shows real-time CPU, memory, disk I/O, network traffic, and process stats ## Quick Start Mole requires macOS 12 or newer and supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. If Homebrew no longer supports your macOS version, use the script install instead. **Install via Homebrew** ```bash brew install mole ``` **Or via script** ```bash curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/mole/main/install.sh | bash ``` **With an AI agent** Tell your agent: > Install Mole for me by reading https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/Mole/main/llms.txt Or install the skill yourself. With it, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents show every cleanup with `--dry-run` before anything is removed, and leave app uninstalls and administrator steps to you. Update with `npx skills update -g -y`. ```bash npx skills add tw93/Mole -a claude-code codex cursor -g -y ``` As a host plugin: `/plugin marketplace add tw93/Mole` then `/plugin install mole@mole` in Claude Code, `codex plugin marketplace add tw93/Mole` then `codex plugin add mole@mole` in Codex, or `dsh plugin --profile add dsh-mole` in DeepSeek Harness. **Run** ```bash mo # Interactive menu mo clean # Deep cleanup + already-uninstalled app leftovers mo uninstall # Remove installed apps + their leftovers mo optimize # Refresh caches & services mo analyze # Visual disk explorer (or 'mo analyse') mo status # Live system health dashboard mo purge # Clean project build artifacts mo installer # Find and remove installer files mo slim # Remove Intel code from universal apps mo touchid # Configure Touch ID for sudo mo completion # Set up shell tab completion mo update # Update Mole mo update --nightly # Update to latest unreleased main build, script install only mo remove # Remove Mole from system mo --help # Show help mo --version # Show installed version ``` **Preview safely** ```bash mo clean --dry-run mo uninstall --dry-run mo optimize --dry-run mo purge --dry-run mo installer --dry-run mo slim --dry-run mo history mo history --json mo clean --dry-run --debug # Preview + detailed logs mo optimize --whitelist # Manage protected optimization rules mo clean --whitelist # Manage protected caches mo purge --paths # Configure project scan directories mo analyze /Volumes # Analyze external drives only mo analyze /private/tmp # Review user-owned temporary directories ```

Other install options

To install a specific release, pass any tag from the [releases page](https://github.com/tw93/mole/releases), with or without its leading `V`. To track the development branch instead, pass `main`: ```bash curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/mole/main/install.sh | bash -s -- 1.51.0 curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/mole/main/install.sh | bash -s -- main ``` `main` installs unreleased code from the default branch, so expect rough edges. `latest` still works as a legacy alias for `main`; despite the name it does not install the newest stable release. The script normally installs to `/usr/local/bin`, which may ask for an administrator password. Install into a user-owned directory if you want future `mo update` runs to stay password-free: ```bash mkdir -p "$HOME/.local/bin" curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/mole/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --prefix "$HOME/.local/bin" export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" ``` Add the same `PATH` export to `~/.zshrc` or your shell profile for new terminals. Mole updates the installation you invoked, so it keeps using this directory. Commands that change system-owned files may still request administrator access. **Nix** On macOS, Nix users can install the flake from `main`, which contains unreleased changes: ```bash nix profile install github:tw93/mole/main#mole nix profile upgrade mole nix profile remove mole ``` For a declarative installation, add `github:tw93/mole/main` as a flake input and use its `packages.${system}.mole` package. Update or remove Mole through Nix; `mo update` and `mo remove` leave Nix-managed installations unchanged.

**On Windows** ([Windows CLI](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/tree/windows#readme)) ```powershell iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/Mole/windows/quick-install.ps1 | iex ``` **On Linux** ([Linux CLI](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/tree/linux#readme)) ```bash curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/Mole/linux/install.sh | bash ``` Mole is only distributed through Homebrew, this repository and [mole.fit](https://mole.fit/). `molemac.com`, `moleapp.net` and `molefit.com` are not Mole, and the Windows app at `mole.bluecatbot.com` is a separate community project. ## Safety Mole can remove files, so it validates paths, protects shared and system-owned locations, and asks for confirmation when an action needs it. When Mole cannot prove an item is safe to change, it skips or refuses it. - `clean`, `uninstall`, `purge`, `installer`, `slim`, and `remove` can delete files, so review them with `--dry-run` first and add `--debug` when needed - Run Mole without `sudo`; it requests administrator access only when needed - `mo uninstall`, `mo analyze`, and `mo slim` route deletions to Trash by default after confirmation; `clean`, `purge`, and `installer` delete permanently. `mo uninstall --permanent` skips Trash - Cleanup activity is recorded in `~/Library/Logs/mole/operations.log`; review it with `mo history` or disable it with `MO_NO_OPLOG=1` - Protect caches with `mo clean --whitelist`, or maintenance items with `mo optimize --whitelist` - If the whitelist file cannot be read, `clean`, `purge`, and `optimize` stop instead of running without it Review [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) and [SECURITY_AUDIT.md](SECURITY_AUDIT.md) for reporting guidance, safety boundaries, and current limitations. ## Configuration Mole runs without configuration. These environment variables adapt it to slow disks, stalled network or cloud mounts; raise a timeout only when Mole reports that a step timed out. - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_QUICK_DETECT_SEC` (2): command-availability probes - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_SHORT_QUERY_SEC` (3): lightweight queries such as `df` and `tmutil status` - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_MEDIUM_PROBE_SEC` (5): probes that walk a directory tree or reach the network - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_PKG_LIST_SEC` (10): package-manager listings such as `brew list` - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_PKG_CLEANUP_SEC` (20): cache cleanups that walk the disk - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_DISK_VERIFY_SEC` (30): filesystem verify and repair - `MOLE_TIMEOUT_HINT_SCAN_SEC` (15): unbounded user-directory scans - `MOLE_CLOUD_OFFICE_SECTION_BUDGET_SEC` (300): overall budget for the cloud and Office cleanup section The number in parentheses is the default in seconds. For example, give the scans more time on a slow disk: ```bash MOLE_TIMEOUT_HINT_SCAN_SEC=60 MOLE_TIMEOUT_MEDIUM_PROBE_SEC=15 mo clean ``` ## Features in Detail The examples below are shortened. Available items, sizes, and skip reasons depend on your Mac. ### Clean `mo clean` reviews known-safe caches, logs, temporary files, developer artifacts, and leftovers from apps that are no longer installed. It empties `~/.Trash` by default; to keep it, select Trash in `mo clean --whitelist`, the same menu that protects caches you want to keep. Volume Trashes such as `/Volumes/*/.Trashes` are not emptied with it. Selections persist in `~/.config/mole/whitelist`. Before adding custom paths, open the menu and press Enter to save the selections, then append one path per line. An existing file replaces the optional defaults; built-in safety protections still apply. ```text $ mo clean Clean Your Mac ⚙ Apple Silicon | Free space: 219.0GB ➤ User essentials ✓ User app cache · 18 items, 2.4GB ✓ User app logs · 7 items, 12.8MB ✓ Trash · emptied, 9 items ➤ App caches ✓ App Store cache · 8 items, 248.5MB ➤ Browsers ✓ Safari cache · 24 items, 642.1MB ✓ Chrome cache · 31 items, 1.2GB ➤ Developer tools ✓ npm cache · cleaned ◎ pnpm cache · skipped (pnpm busy) ====================================================================== Cleanup complete Removed: 4.5GB · 97 items Free space: 223.5GB (+4.5GB) ====================================================================== ``` ### Uninstall `mo uninstall` removes an installed app together with related files that Mole can tie back to that app. It keeps shared data when another installed copy still uses it. If the app is already gone, use `mo clean` to look for leftovers. Personal data, including settings and plugins, is kept by default. Press `D` in the removal preview to select individual data paths. `mo uninstall --with-data` starts with that data selected, except browser profiles and App Group containers; the preview lists it separately and `D` still lets you keep any path. After removal, references in shell, Hook, or MCP configuration are listed by file and line only; Mole does not edit those configurations. ```text $ mo uninstall Select Apps to Remove 1/3 selected ➤ ● Photoshop 2024 4.20GB | 2mo ago ○ IntelliJ IDEA 2.80GB | 3d ago ○ Premiere Pro 3.40GB | 2w ago Files to be removed: ✓ Photoshop 2024, 4.20GB ✓ /Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2024/Adobe Photoshop 2024.app Personal data kept: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2024 ~/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Photoshop.plist D choose personal data ====================================================================== Uninstall complete Removed 1 app, freed 4.20GB: Photoshop 2024 ====================================================================== ``` ### Optimize `mo optimize` runs bounded maintenance for supported Finder, network, database, and macOS services. Tasks that are unnecessary, unsafe at the moment, or unavailable are skipped with a reason. Use `mo optimize --whitelist` to exclude tasks or path patterns, such as a long-lived mounted disk image at `/Volumes/mail` that should not show up as a detach candidate. ```text $ mo optimize Optimize ⚙ System 18/32 GB RAM | 616/926 GB Disk | Uptime 6d PERFORMANCE DIAGNOSIS ✓ No sustained high-CPU bottleneck detected ➤ Finder Cache Refresh ✓ QuickLook thumbnails refreshed ✓ Icon services cache rebuilt ➤ Network Cache Refresh ✓ DNS cache refreshed ➤ Database Optimization ◎ Close these apps before database optimization: Safari ➤ Disk Health ✓ Disk verify skipped ====================================================================== Optimization Complete Applied 2 optimizations 13 unchanged | 3 skipped | 1 unavailable ====================================================================== ``` ### Analyze `mo analyze` opens a terminal disk explorer. It supports arrow keys and Vim navigation, filtering, multi-selection, Finder preview, and confirmed moves to Trash. External drives are skipped from the default overview; inspect them with `mo analyze /Volumes` or a specific mount path. Use `mo analyze /private/tmp` to review user-owned temporary files without turning them into automatic cleanup targets. File-by-file scans count APFS clones that share all blocks once; fast folder estimates can still count shared blocks more than once. A size ending in `+` contains measured bytes from a partial scan; `unknown` means the size could not be measured. Results cut short by temporary failures such as timeouts do not replace complete cached measurements, and a later refresh can recover the missing data. Folders macOS will not let the terminal read stay partial until access changes. The terminal list keeps the 30 largest entries, so an unreadable entry may fall outside that list; the total still indicates a partial scan. Directory JSON output includes all scanned entries. `mo analyze --json /path` includes `scan_status` on the result and each entry: `complete`, `partial`, or `unavailable`. Numeric sizes contain measured bytes; a zero with `unavailable` does not mean an empty directory. Partial scans still exit successfully, so automation should inspect `scan_status`. Completeness applies within Mole's existing scan exclusions and does not promise an atomic filesystem snapshot. ```text $ mo analyze Analyze Disk (302.1GB free) Select a location to explore: ▶ 1. ████████████████████████ 47.9% | Home 75.4GB 2. ███████████ 22.0% | User Library 34.6GB 3. ███████ 14.2% | Applications 22.4GB 4. █████ 10.7% | System Library 16.9GB 5. ███ 5.2% | Old Downloads (90d+) 8.2GB >3mo ``` ### Status `mo status` is a read-only dashboard for hardware, system pressure, disk activity, network traffic, power, and processes. When the IPv4 default route uses a tunnel, network graphs use that interface’s rates to avoid counting the same traffic again on its physical carrier. JSON retains per-interface rates, including the routed tunnel; idle non-default tunnels stay hidden. ```text $ mo status Mole Status Health ● 92 MacBook Pro · M4 Pro · 32GB · macOS 26 ⚙ CPU ▦ Memory Total ████████████░░░░░░░ 45.2% Used ███████████░░░░░░░ 58.4% Load 0.82 / 1.05 / 1.23 (8 cores) Total 18.7 / 32.0 GB Core 1 ███████████████░░░░ 78.3% Free ████████░░░░░░░░░░ 41.6% Core 2 ████████████░░░░░░░ 62.1% Avail 13.3 GB ▤ Disk ⚡ Power Used █████████████░░░░░░ 67.2% Level ██████████████████ 100% Free 156.3 GB Status Charged Read ▮▯▯▯▯ 2.1 MB/s Health Normal · 423 cycles Write ▮▮▮▯▯ 18.3 MB/s Temp 58°C · 1200 RPM ⇅ Network ▶ Processes Down ▁▁█▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▇▆▅▂ 0.54 MB/s Zombies 3 · Chrome (4242) ×3 Up ▄▄▄▃▃▃▄▆▆▇█▁▁▁▁▁ 0.02 MB/s Code ▮▮▮▮▯ 42.1% Proxy HTTP · 192.168.1.100 Chrome ▮▮▮▯▯ 28.3% ``` The health score combines CPU, memory, disk capacity, SMART status, I/O, thermals, battery state, and uptime, with color-coded ranges. Press `k` to toggle the cat, `c` to cycle the number of CPU cores shown, or `q` to quit; display preferences are saved.

JSON, NDJSON, and process alerts

- `mo analyze --json ~/Documents` returns a one-time disk report as JSON - `mo status --json` returns a one-time status snapshot as JSON - `mo status | jq '.health_score'` switches to JSON automatically when output is piped - `mo status --watch --interval 2s` streams newline-delimited JSON from a warm collector - `mo history --json` returns cleanup activity as JSON. Sessions include `run_id` (an opaque string, empty when no identity was logged) and `attribution`: `run` for identified runs, `command` for legacy command-based grouping, or `ambiguous` when legacy markers cannot distinguish interruption from overlapping runs. Recorded actions remain available; ambiguous counts cannot be assigned reliably to individual runs. An empty `ended_at` means no end marker was recorded - `mo uninstall --list` returns installed apps as JSON with `name`, `bundle_id`, `source`, `uninstall_name`, `path` and `size` ```text $ mo analyze --json ~/Documents { "path": "/Users/you/Documents", "overview": false, "entries": [ { "name": "Library", "path": "...", "size": 80939438080, "is_dir": true } ], "large_files": [ { "name": "backup.zip", "path": "...", "size": 8796093022 } ], "total_size": 168393441280, "total_files": 42187 } $ mo status --json { "host": "MacBook-Pro", "health_score": 92, "cpu": { "usage": 45.2, "logical_cpu": 8 }, "memory": { "total": 34359738368, "used": 20078972109, "used_percent": 58.4 }, "disks": [], "process_collected_at": "2026-08-29T12:30:00Z", "process_stale": false, "zombie_count": 3, "zombie_parents": [ { "pid": 4242, "name": "Google Chrome for Testing", "count": 3 } ], "zombie_parents_complete": true, "uptime": "3d 12h 45m" } ``` Zombie diagnostics are read-only and do not affect the health score or terminate processes. Before Mole has a successful process sample, `process_collected_at`, `process_stale`, `zombie_count`, and `zombie_parents_complete` are omitted and `zombie_parents` is `null`. Later fast/watch snapshots reuse the latest successful sample with its original `process_collected_at` and set `process_stale: true`; a live process sample sets it to `false`. A count of `0` means Mole measured no zombies. Parent summaries contain at most three known owners; `zombie_parents_complete: false` means attribution was unavailable, incomplete, or truncated. If one collector fails, `mo status --json` still prints the metrics that were collected, reports the failure on stderr, and exits successfully, the same way `--watch` keeps streaming. It exits 1 when none of CPU, memory, disk, or process metrics are available, or when JSON output fails. Status also supports read-only alerts for processes that stay above a CPU threshold. Use `--proc-cpu-threshold`, `--proc-cpu-window`, or `--proc-cpu-alerts=false` to tune or disable them.

### Purge `mo purge` finds rebuildable project artifacts such as `node_modules`, `target`, `.build`, `build`, and `dist`. It groups artifacts by project and permanently deletes only the items you confirm. Artifacts with file activity in the last 7 days, or activity Mole cannot verify, are unselected by default. Mole uses `fd` when available and falls back to `find`, and protects directories containing deployment keypair files, nested Git repositories, or Git-tracked files. Non-interactive runs require `mo purge --yes`; use `mo purge --dry-run` to review the candidates first. Use Page Up/Down or `h`/`l` to move a page, `[`/`]` to jump between projects, and `X` to skip a project and advance. `/` searches project paths and artifact names, `n` finds the next match without changing selections, and Enter opens the final path review. Reported space is an estimate; unmeasured artifacts and incomplete scans are identified explicitly.

Purge example output

```text $ mo purge Purge Project Artifacts Select Artifacts to Purge 6.00GB, 2 selected ➤ ● ┌ ~/Projects/website 3.80GB | node_modules | 28d ○ └ ~/Projects/website 186MB | dist | <1d ● ┌ ~/Projects/rust-app 2.20GB | target | 2mo ○ └ ~/Projects/rust-app 22MB | dist | <7d ====================================================================== Purge complete Estimated space freed: 6.00GB | Items: 2 | Free: 223.5GB ====================================================================== ```

Custom Scan Paths

Run `mo purge --paths` to configure scan directories, or edit `~/.config/mole/purge_paths` directly: ```shell ~/Documents/MyProjects ~/Work/ClientA ~/Work/ClientB ``` When custom paths are configured, Mole scans only those directories. Otherwise, it uses defaults like `~/Projects`, `~/GitHub`, `~/dev`, and supported agent worktree containers. Discovery does not save an incomplete result. Artifact scans reach six levels below each configured root; add a nearer root for deeper projects. Purge removes rebuildable artifacts inside worktrees, never the worktrees themselves.

### Installer `mo installer` finds DMG, PKG, MPKG, ISO, XIP, and installer ZIP files in Downloads, Desktop, Homebrew caches, iCloud, Mail, Telegram, and other supported locations, and shows each item's size and source before removal. Discovery has a cumulative time limit: if a scan or metadata probe fails or times out, Mole discards the list and exits without selecting files. Corrupt and unreadable ZIP archives are skipped, symlinked scan roots are supported but symlinks beneath them are not followed, and selected files are checked again against their confirmed identity at the deletion boundary.

Installer example output

```text $ mo installer Select Installers to Remove, 3.83GB, 5 selected ➤ ● Photoshop_2024.dmg 1.20GB | Downloads ● IntelliJ_IDEA.dmg 850.6MB | Downloads ● Illustrator_Setup.pkg 920.4MB | Downloads ● PyCharm_Pro.dmg 640.5MB | Homebrew ● Acrobat_Reader.dmg 220.4MB | Downloads ○ AppCode_Legacy.zip 410.6MB | Downloads ====================================================================== Installers cleaned Removed 5 installers, freed 3.83GB ====================================================================== ```

### Slim `mo slim` removes the Intel code that universal apps carry on Apple Silicon Macs. It lists the apps you own that are signed with a Developer ID, with the size of each app's Intel code, and changes only the apps you select. Each app is slimmed on a copy, touching only main executables and nested code that carries its own signature; the copy replaces the app only after it keeps its Apple Silicon code and passes code signing and Gatekeeper checks, and the original moves to the Trash. App Store apps, Apple apps, apps set to open using Rosetta, apps owned by another user, and running apps are left alone. It needs no developer tools, and an app update brings the Intel code back. ## Quick Launchers

Raycast and Alfred setup

Install five launchers for Clean, Uninstall, Optimize, Analyze, and Status: ```bash curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/Mole/main/scripts/setup-quick-launchers.sh | bash ``` The script adds Raycast commands and, when Alfred preferences are present, matching Alfred workflows with the keywords `clean`, `uninstall`, `optimize`, `analyze`, and `status`. Raycast needs one manual setup: 1. Open **Raycast Settings > Extensions > Script Commands**. 2. Add `~/Library/Application Support/Raycast/script-commands` as a script directory. 3. Run **Reload Script Directories** in Raycast. The launchers auto-detect Terminal, iTerm2, Alacritty, kitty, WezTerm, Ghostty, Hyper, WindTerm, and Warp. Set `MO_LAUNCHER_APP=` to choose one; you can also run Mole directly in [Kaku](https://github.com/tw93/Kaku).

## Community Thanks to everyone who helped build Mole. Go follow them. ❤️

Real feedback from users who shared Mole on 𝕏. Community feedback on Mole

Watch the [Mole tutorial video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEe9-w4CcQ0) by PAPAYA 電腦教室. ## Support - Getting [Mole for Mac](https://mole.fit) is the most direct way to support Mole's development - If Mole helped you, give it a star, [share it](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https://github.com/tw93/Mole&text=Mole%20-%20Deep%20clean%20and%20optimize%20your%20Mac.), or open an issue or PR - I have two cats, TangYuan and Coke, and if Mole makes your life a little easier, feel free to treat them to canned food 🥩 These lovely people already did 🐱

## License Mole is open source under GPL-3.0; see [LICENSE](LICENSE). Any modified version you share must remain under the same license. If you fork Mole, please use a distinct name and credit Mole as the upstream source. [Mole for Mac](https://mole.fit) is a separate proprietary app, and Mole is here for the long run.