install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install clean

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#clean

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/cl/clean/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Search for files matching a regex and delete them

Project links

Commands and aliases

clean

history

Project history and usage

Nifty Clean is a small Unix/POSIX C utility for finding backup-style files using regular expressions from a user rc file and deleting them interactively or in batch mode.

Project history

The SourceForge project describes Clean as public-domain C software targeting Unix/POSIX systems. Its project registration date places it in the early-2000s SourceForge era of small single-purpose command-line utilities.

Adoption history

Its packaging in Homebrew and Nix reflects continued interest in tiny maintenance commands even when upstream activity is low.

How it is used

Users define regexes in `~/.cleanrc`, then run the `clean` executable to locate and remove matching files, with optional per-file confirmation or batch deletion.

Why package nerds care

Clean is the kind of small, public-domain Unix utility package that package-manager catalogs preserve: narrow scope, rc-file configuration, no service dependency, and useful behavior for shell-driven file housekeeping.

Timeline

2003-05-31: SourceForge project registered.
2016-01-20: SourceForge project page lists the last update.

Sources

Official SourceForge project page: description, license, categories, registration date, and last update.
Official project homepage: clean.sourceforge.net.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.cleanrc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`clean`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version3.4

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://clean.sourceforge.net/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://clean.sourceforge.net/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:clean
Version	3.4
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/clean
Homepage	https://clean.sourceforge.net/
Repository	https://sourceforge.net/p/clean/code
Upstream docs	https://clean.sourceforge.net/
License	LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain
Source archive	https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/clean/clean/3.4/clean-3.4.tar.bz2
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	clean
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

clean

nix profile install nixpkgs#clean

normalized package name match
Matched by: Clean

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cl/clean/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/clean.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install clean with Homebrew, Nix