---
name: "dh_clean"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "debhelper"
version: "13.24.2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dh_clean"
---

# dh\_clean(1)

clean up package build directories

## NAME

dh\_clean - clean up package build directories

## SYNOPSIS

**dh\_clean** \[*debhelper options*\] \[**-k**\] \[**-d**\] \[**-X***item*\] \[*path* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**dh\_clean** is a debhelper program that is responsible for cleaning up.  It should be the last step of the **clean** target and other debhelper commands generally assume that **dh\_clean** will clean up after them.

It removes the package build directories, and removes some other files including *debian/files*, and any detritus left behind by other debhelper commands. It also removes common files and directories that should not appear in a Debian diff:\
   \#\*# \*~ DEADJOE \*.orig \*.rej \*.SUMS \_\_pycache\_\_ TAGS .deps/\* \*.P \*-stamp

It does not run "make clean" to clean up after the build process. Use [**dh\_auto\_clean**(1)](/dh_auto_clean/1.md) to do things like that.

## FILES

- *debian/clean*

  Can list other paths to be removed.

  Note that directories listed in this file **must** end with a trailing slash.  Any content in these directories will be removed as well.

  Supports substitution variables in compat 13 and later as documented in [**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md).

## OPTIONS

- **-k**, **--keep**

  This is deprecated, use [**dh\_prep**(1)](/dh_prep/1.md) instead.

  The option is removed in compat 12.

- **-d**, **--dirs-only**

  Only clean the package build directories, do not clean up any other files at all.

- **-X***item* **--exclude=***item*

  Exclude files that contain *item* anywhere in their filename from being deleted, even if they would normally be deleted. You may use this option multiple times to build up a list of things to exclude.

- *path* ...

  Delete these *path*s too.

  Note that directories passed as arguments **must** end with a trailing slash.  Any content in these directories will be removed as well.

## SEE ALSO

[**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md)

This program is a part of debhelper.

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<joeyh@debian.org\>