A Step-by-Step Guide on Clearing History in Ubuntu
Key Notes
- Clear history to enhance privacy and manage disk space.
- Learn methods for Bash, Nautilus, and Gedit history management.
- Implement simple commands to clear history effectively.
Mastering the Art of Clearing History in Ubuntu Linux
Managing your privacy in Ubuntu Linux is essential. Clearing history logs not only frees up valuable disk space but also fortifies your digital privacy. This comprehensive guide walks you through the different methods to clear command histories in Bash, manage recent files in Nautilus, and handle backups in Gedit.
Clearing the Command History in Bash
Step 1: Erase Your Bash Command History
To clear your Bash command history on Ubuntu, you can redirect an empty string to your “.bash_history” file using the following command:
cat /dev/null > ~/.bash_history
However, this only clears the stored commands and does not affect the current session.
To clear the current session’s history, execute:
history -c
Confirm that your history has been cleared by typing:
history
Step 2: Disable Future History Logs
To prevent Bash from saving command history in future sessions, edit your.bashrc file. Open it with your preferred text editor:
nano ~/.bashrc
Add the following lines to the file:
HISTSIZE=0 HISTFILESIZE=0
After saving changes, apply the new settings with:
source ~/.bashrc
Run a command and check your history to ensure no entries are logged.
Step 3: Remove Specific Commands from Bash History
To delete specific commands, identify the command’s index by entering:
history
Then, to remove a command by its index, use:
history -d [index]
Verify the command is deleted by rerunning the history command.
Clearing the Recent File History in Nautilus
Step 4: Clear Recent Files in Nautilus
Access the Nautilus file manager from your application launcher.
Click on the Recent category in the left sidebar. Select all items with Ctrl + A and right-click to choose Remove from Recent.
Step 5: Set Up Automatic File History Clean-Up
To automate the deletion of recent files, create a Bash script in the local binaries folder. Here’s how:
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin nano ~/.local/bin/clear_recent_files.sh
Paste the following command into the script:
rm ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel
Make your script executable:
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/clear_recent_files.sh
Add it to startup applications to run at login.
Step 6: Clear File History for All Users
For shared systems, switch to the root user and run the following command:
sudo rm /home/*/.local/share/recently-used.xbel
This will clear the recent file history for every user on the system.
Disabling the Recent Backups in Gedit
Step 7: Disable Backups in Gedit
Open Gedit, go to the Preferences menu and under the Editor tab, uncheck Create a backup copy of files before saving.
Return to your terminal and remove any existing backup files:
rm ~/.*.save
Summary
In this guide, you learned how to effectively clear command and file history across various applications in Ubuntu Linux. These practices not only help maintain a clean operating environment but also enhance your privacy and system performance.
Conclusion
Regularly clearing your history in Ubuntu is crucial for both privacy and performance. Implement the steps mentioned, and enhance your control over your system’s history and backups for a more secure computing experience.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do I check what is in my command history?
You can check your command history by typing history in your terminal.
What if I want to keep track of some commands?
You can choose to use the history -d [index] command to selectively delete history entries while preserving others.