Documentation
📘 Commands
cleanup

cleanup

rfswift cleanup

Automated cleanup of Docker resources to free disk space.

Synopsis 

rfswift cleanup [OPTIONS]

The cleanup command removes unused Docker resources including stopped containers, dangling images, unused volumes, and build cache. This helps maintain disk space and keep your Docker environment clean.

Options

Flag Description Default Example
--all Remove all unused resources false --all
--containers Remove stopped containers only false --containers
--images Remove unused images only false --images
--volumes Remove unused volumes only false --volumes
--force Skip confirmation prompts false --force

Examples

Basic Usage

Interactive cleanup (asks confirmation):

rfswift cleanup

Full cleanup without prompts:

rfswift cleanup --all --force

Remove stopped containers only:

rfswift cleanup --containers

Remove unused images only:

rfswift cleanup --images

Real-World Scenarios

Weekly maintenance:

# Clean up stopped containers and dangling images
rfswift cleanup --containers --images

Before major operations:

# Free space before pulling large images
rfswift cleanup --all

# Then pull new images
rfswift images pull -i penthertz/rfswift_noble:sdr_full

Emergency disk space recovery:

# Aggressive cleanup when disk is full
rfswift cleanup --all --force

# Check space recovered
df -h

Selective cleanup:

# Keep running containers, remove images only
rfswift cleanup --images --force

Post-development cleanup:

# After testing, clean up test containers and images
rfswift cleanup --containers --images

What Gets Cleaned Up

Cleanup Targets

Resource Description When Removed
Stopped containers Containers not running Always safe
Dangling images Untagged images (<none>:<none>) Always safe
Unused images Images not used by any container Safe if not needed
Build cache Docker build layer cache Safe but slows rebuilds
Networks Unused custom networks Usually safe

Safety Levels

Safe to remove:

  • ✅ Stopped containers (can recreate)
  • ✅ Dangling images (no tag, no use)
  • ✅ Build cache (recreated on next build)
  • ✅ Unused networks

Caution required:

  • ⚠️ Unused images (may need later)
  • ⚠️ Unused volumes (may contain data)

Never removed:

  • ❌ Running containers
  • ❌ Images used by running containers
  • ❌ Volumes attached to containers

Cleanup Strategies

Conservative Strategy

Remove only clearly unused resources:

# Stopped containers only
rfswift cleanup --containers --force

Good for:

  • Production systems
  • Careful disk management
  • Preserving development environments

Balanced Strategy

Remove most unused resources:

# Containers and images
rfswift cleanup --all

Good for:

  • Regular maintenance
  • Development systems
  • General cleanup

Aggressive Strategy

Remove everything unused:

# Full cleanup
rfswift cleanup --all --force

Good for:

  • Emergency space recovery
  • Fresh start scenarios
  • CI/CD systems

Troubleshooting

Cleanup Not Freeing Space

Problem: Ran cleanup but disk usage still high

Solutions:

# Check what's using space
docker system df -v

# Try more aggressive cleanup
docker system prune -a -f --volumes

# Check for large log files
find /var/lib/docker -name "*.log" -size +100M

# Check other disk usage
du -sh /var/lib/docker/*

# May need to clean Docker logs
truncate -s 0 /var/lib/docker/containers/*/*-json.log

Permission Denied

Problem: Cleanup fails with permission errors

Solutions:

# Use sudo
sudo rfswift cleanup --all --force

# Or add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

# Then retry
rfswift cleanup --all --force

Important Container Removed

Problem: Accidentally removed needed container

Solutions:

# Check backups
ls ~/docker-backups/

# Restore from export
rfswift import container -i backup.tar.gz -n restored_container

# Recreate from image if no backup
rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift_noble:sdr_full -n recreated_container

# Lesson: Always export important containers before cleanup
rfswift export container -c important -o backup.tar.gz

Related Commands

  • last - List containers before cleanup
  • remove - Remove specific containers
  • delete - Remove specific images
  • images - Check images before cleanup
🧹
Regular Maintenance: Schedule regular cleanup with rfswift cleanup --containers --images --force to prevent disk space issues. Daily or weekly cleanup keeps your system healthy!
Data Loss Risk: The --volumes flag removes ALL unused volumes, which may contain important data. Always check volumes before removing them, and backup any important data!
Safe Defaults: Without flags, cleanup removes stopped containers and dangling images only - the safest cleanup. Use --all for more aggressive cleanup when you need more space.
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