Keeping dev disks clean
Practical guides on node_modules, package manager internals, and getting your disk space back. New article every week.
Why you should never rm -rf node_modules (use the Trash)
rm -rf has no undo, and node_modules cleanup is exactly where tired-hands mistakes happen. The case for Trash-based deletion, with commands.
Read articlenpm vs yarn vs pnpm: which wastes the least disk space?
How npm, yarn, and pnpm each lay out node_modules on disk, what that costs across many projects, and which one hoards the least.
Read articlenpkill vs manual cleanup vs TidyDisk: which should you use?
An honest comparison of the three ways to clean node_modules on a Mac: raw terminal commands, the npkill CLI, and the TidyDisk menu bar app.
Read articleFree up disk space on a Mac: the developer's checklist
A prioritized checklist for developers: node_modules, package caches, Xcode junk, Docker images, simulators, and browser caches, with real commands.
Read articlenpm cache clean: what it actually frees (and what it does not)
What lives in the npm cache, when npm cache clean --force helps, why verify is usually better, and where the real disk savings are.
Read articleHow to find every node_modules folder on your Mac
Terminal commands to locate and size every node_modules folder on macOS, sort them by size and staleness, and decide what to delete.
Read articleThe pnpm store explained: where your disk space really goes
How pnpm's content-addressable store and hard links actually work, why du lies to you about project sizes, and how to clean the store safely.
Read articleWhy is node_modules so huge? What is actually inside
Why a 20-line app pulls in 300 MB of dependencies: transitive packages, duplicated versions, dev tooling, and platform binaries explained.
Read articleHow to delete node_modules safely and get gigabytes back
A practical guide to deleting node_modules folders without breaking anything: what is safe, what to check first, and how to do it in seconds.
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