BleachBit
BleachBit is a free and open-source disk space cleaner, privacy manager, and computer system optimizer. The BleachBit source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.
Screenshot of the Bleachbit 4.0.0 User Interface on GNOME Shell | |
Initial release | 24 December 2008 |
---|---|
Stable release | 4.0.0
/ April 19, 2020 |
Repository | |
Written in | Python |
Operating system | Microsoft Windows macOS Linux |
Size | 11.3-16.8 MB (Windows) |
Available in | 64 languages[1] |
Type | Disk cleaner |
License | GNU General Public License |
Website | www |
History
BleachBit was first publicly released on 24 December 2008 for Linux systems.[2] The 0.2.1 release created some controversy[3] by suggesting Linux needed a registry cleaner.
Version 0.4.0 introduced CleanerML,[4] a standards-based markup language for writing new cleaners. On May 29, 2009, BleachBit version 0.5.0 added support for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.[5] On September 16, 2009, version 0.6.4 introduced command-line interface support.[6]
BleachBit is available for download through its Web site and the repositories of many Linux distributions.
Features
- Identifying and removing Web cache, HTTP cookies, URL history, temporary files log files and Flash cookies for Firefox, Opera, Safari, APT, Google Chrome
- Removing unused localizations (also called locale files) which are translations of software
- Shredding files and wiping unallocated disk space to minimize data remanence
- Wiping unallocated disk space to improve data compression ratio for disk image backups
- Vacuuming Firefox's SQLite database which suffers fragmentation
- Command line interface for scripting automation and headless operation
Technology
BleachBit is written in the Python programming language and uses PyGTK.
Most of BleachBit's cleaners are written in CleanerML,[7] an open standard XML-based markup language for writing cleaners.[8] CleanerML deals not only with deleting files, but also executes more specialized actions, such as vacuuming an SQLite database (used, for example, to clean Yum).
BleachBit's file shredder uses only a single, "secure" pass[9] because its developers believe that there is a lack of evidence that multiple passes, such as the 35-pass Gutmann method, are more effective. They also assert that multiple passes are significantly slower and may give the user a false sense of security by overshadowing other ways in which privacy may be compromised.[10]
Controversies
In August 2016, Republican U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy announced that he had seen notes from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), taken during an investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, that stated that Clinton's staff had used BleachBit to delete emails from her private server.[11][12] After the announcement, BleachBit's company website reportedly received increased traffic.[13][14]
In October 2016, the FBI released edited documents from their Clinton email investigation.[15]
See also
References
- "Features | BleachBit". bleachbit.org. BleachBit. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- "BleachBit: BleachBit's public debut!". Bleachbit.blogspot.com. 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "BleachBit: Does GNU/Linux need the equivalent of a Windows registry cleaner?". Lwn.net. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "BleachBit: BleachBit 0.4.0 released". Bleachbit.blogspot.com. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "BleachBit: BleachBit 0.5.0 released". Bleachbit.blogspot.com. 2009-05-29. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "BleachBit 0.6.4 released | BleachBit". bleachbit.org. 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "CleanerML". docs.bleachbit.org.
- "BleachBit: Cleaner Markup Language". Bleachbit.blogspot.com. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "BleachBit: Validating secure erase". Bleachbit.blogspot.com. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- "Shred files and wipe disks". docs.bleachbit.org.
- Nelson, Louis (August 25, 2016). "Gowdy: Clinton used special tool to wipe email server". Politico. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- Newman, Lily Hay (August 26, 2016). "Security News This Week: Hillary Clinton Didn't Delete Her Emails, She Super Deleted Them". Wired. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- Limitone, Julia (August 29, 2016). "BleachBit Creator Says Possibility of Finding Clinton's Wiped E-mails Exists". Fox Business. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- Shaw, Adam (November 2, 2016). "BleachBit selling 'cloth or something' -- in homage to Clinton | Fox News". FoxNews.com. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- "FBI — Hillary R. Clinton". vault.FBI.gov.
External links
- Official website
- bleachbit on GitHub
- Review by Downloadsquad (June 9, 2009)
- Review by SoftPedia (September 16, 2009)
- Review by CNET (January 19, 2011)