---
name: "datalad-clean"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "datalad"
version: "1.1.5-2.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/datalad-clean"
---

# datalad-clean(1)

clean up after DataLad (possible temporary files etc.)

## NAME

**datalad clean** - clean up after DataLad (possible temporary files etc.)

## SYNOPSIS

**datalad clean** \[-h\] \[-d DATASET\] \[--what \[WHAT ...\]\] \[--dry-run\] \[-r\] \[-R LEVELS\] \[--version\]

## DESCRIPTION

Removes temporary files and directories left behind by DataLad and git-annex in a dataset.

### Examples

Clean all known temporary locations of a dataset::

 % datalad clean

Report on all existing temporary locations of a dataset::

 % datalad clean --dry-run

Clean all known temporary locations of a dataset and all its subdatasets::

 % datalad clean -r

Clean only the archive extraction caches of a dataset and all its subdatasets::

 % datalad clean --what cached-archives -r

Report on existing annex transfer files of a dataset and all its subdatasets::

 % datalad clean --what annex-transfer -r --dry-run

## OPTIONS

- **-h**, **--help**, **--help-np**

  show this help message. --help-np forcefully disables the use of a pager for displaying the help message

- **-d** *DATASET*, **--dataset** *DATASET*

  specify the dataset to perform the clean operation on. If no dataset is given, an attempt is made to identify the dataset in current working directory. Constraints: Value must be a Dataset or a valid identifier of a Dataset (e.g. a path) or value must be NONE

- **--what** \[*WHAT* ...\]

  What to clean. If none specified -- all known targets are considered. Constraints: value must be one of ('cached-archives', 'annex-tmp', 'annex-transfer', 'search-index') or value must be NONE

- **--dry-run**

  Report on cleanable locations - not actually cleaning up anything.

- **-r**, **--recursive**

  if set, recurse into potential subdatasets.

- **-R** LEVELS, **--recursion-limit** LEVELS

  limit recursion into subdatasets to the given number of levels. Constraints: value must be convertible to type 'int' or value must be NONE

- **--version**

  show the module and its version which provides the command

## AUTHORS

 datalad is developed by The DataLad Team and Contributors \<team@datalad.org\>.