How to search and delete Duplicate/Unwanted Files Using FSlint Tool

To search and delete Duplicate or Unwanted Files in Linux Using FSlint Tool

fdupes utility is used to find and replace duplicate files in Linux. In this article we will discuss about fslint tool and how it is used to search and delete Duplicate or Unwanted Files in Linux.
It has features like combination of different tools that look after duplicate files, empty directories and improper name, Simple GTK+ Graphic front-end, helps in reclaiming disk space. It is a perfect tool that remove lint of various types from a file system.

To install on a Linux

Execute following command on Debian based systems such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

[root@linuxhelp~]# apt-get install fslint
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
&hellip 
&hellip 
&hellip 
&hellip 
Installed!

On CentOS/RHEL based distributions

Activate the epel repository

[root@linuxhelp~]# yum install fdupes 

On Fedora based distributions

[root@linuxhelp~]# dnf install fdupes

Usage of this command

It is the application that has a command-line interface as well as a front-end GUI at the same time. GUI front-end suited to newbies and for who prefer GUI over CLI. CLI version is preferred since it gives immense power.

You can access in the location /usr/share/fslint/.

[root@linuxhelp~]# /usr/share/fslint/fslint/fslint
-----------------------------------file name lint
./Amy Macdonald - This Is The Life-iRYvuS9OxdA.mkv
./Linux - Install Configure HTTP DNS BIND Server CentOS 6.3 - Config Static IP Address - Step 1-V3ymaozVntU.f136.mp4.part
-------------------------------Invalid utf8 names
-----------------------------------file case lint
----------------------------------DUPlicate files
-----------------------------------Dangling links
--------------------redundant characters in links
------------------------------------suspect links
--------------------------------Empty Directories
./.config/ibus
./.gvfs
----------------------------------Temporary Files
----------------------duplicate/conflicting Names
find: File system loop detected  `/usr/bin/X11'  is part of the same file system loop as `/usr/bin/' .
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root      88 Mar 14 18:07 /usr/bin/youtube
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1141708 Mar 14 14:59 /usr/local/bin/youtube
------------------------------------------Bad ids
-------------------------Non Stripped executables

Here, it shows you tube as error since same name exists in both directories.

It doesn' t delete files on its own , it simply displays the file, location and name.

To search a different directory other than your /home directory

[root@linuxhelp~]# /usr/share/fslint/fslint/fslint /home/user1/Desktop
-----------------------------------file name lint
-------------------------------Invalid utf8 names
-----------------------------------file case lint
----------------------------------DUPlicate files
-----------------------------------Dangling links
--------------------redundant characters in links
------------------------------------suspect links
--------------------------------Empty Directories
/home/user1/Desktop/Untitled Folder
----------------------------------Temporary Files
----------------------duplicate/conflicting Names
------------------------------------------Bad ids
-------------------------Non Stripped executab

To search recursively to all the sub-folders

flag ‘ " -r" ’ is to be used.

[root@linuxhelp~]# /usr/share/fslint/fslint/fslint -r /home/user1/Desktop

It will check for all the sub-directories available in the given path.

FSLINT in graphical mode

To execute the tool in graphical just type the below command-line or you can launch from the applications

[root@linuxhelp~]# fslint-gui

GUI is simple to understand. You just need to do these

Add/remove the directories to scan

Click on ‘ Find’ button to select scan recursively not by checking/unchecking check box on the top-right.