/tmp Cleanup Shell Script Linux

Runaway temp files (failed uploads, PHP sessions, build artifacts) can fill /tmp and break apps. This script deletes only files older than N days inside an explicit allowlist — never arbitrary paths.

What this script does

Restricts deletes to /tmp and optional extra dirs
Uses find -mtime age threshold
Supports DRY_RUN=1 to print actions without deleting
Logs count and approximate freed space
Skips symlinks that point outside allowlist

Prerequisites

Root or capability to delete target temp files
Understand what apps store in /tmp before aggressive retention
Test with DRY_RUN first

Step 1: Save the script

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/tmp-cleanup.sh
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/tmp-cleanup.sh

Step 2: Full script (scroll to read)

tmp-cleanup.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

AGE_DAYS=7
DRY_RUN="${DRY_RUN:-0}"
ALLOW=(/tmp)
LOG="/var/log/tmp-cleanup.log"

log(){ echo "[$(date '+%F %T')] $*" | tee -a "$LOG"; }

clean_dir(){
  local dir="$1"
  [[ -d "$dir" ]] || return 0
  log "Scanning $dir for files older than ${AGE_DAYS}d (DRY_RUN=$DRY_RUN)"
  local list
  list=$(find "$dir" -mindepth 1 -xdev -type f -mtime +"$AGE_DAYS" 2>/dev/null || true)
  local count=0
  local bytes=0
  while IFS= read -r f; do
    [[ -z "$f" ]] && continue
    count=$((count+1))
    bytes=$((bytes + $(stat -c%s "$f" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)))
    if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "1" ]]; then
      log "would delete: $f"
    else
      rm -f -- "$f"
    fi
  done <<< "$list"
  log "Removed $count files (~$((bytes/1024/1024))M) under $dir"
}

for d in "${ALLOW[@]}"; do clean_dir "$d"; done
log "tmp cleanup completed"

Scroll inside the box to read the full script.

Step 3: Configure settings

Do not point at / — keep allowlist tight
Related: disk monitor script
Some apps need long-lived sockets in /tmp — tune retention

Linux tmp cleanup shell script removing old files

Step 4: Test manually

DRY_RUN=1 sudo /usr/local/bin/tmp-cleanup.sh

sudo /usr/local/bin/tmp-cleanup.sh

Schedule with cron

sudo crontab -e

Add:

30 3 * * * /usr/local/bin/tmp-cleanup.sh >> /var/log/tmp-cleanup.log 2>&1

/tmp Cleanup Shell Script for Linux (find, Age, Allowlist and Safety)