---
name: "psiclean"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "psi3"
version: "3.4.0-6+b3"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/psiclean"
---

# psiclean(1)

delete files in the PSI temporary directories

## NAME

psiclean - delete files in the PSI temporary directories

## DESCRIPTION

The **psiclean** command finds a job name by scanning the input file for a keyword assignment of the form

```
   DEFAULT:FILES:DEFAULT:NAME = string
```

It then goes through all of the machine's temporary directories and deletes all files of the form *string*.\*.  In previous versions of  **psiclean** , temporary directories were assumed to be of the form

```
   /tmp[0-9]/$user
```

In this version of  **psiclean** , we get the names of the temporary directories from the user input file by looking for volume paths of the form

```
   DEFAULT:FILES:DEFAULT:VOLUMEi = string
```

**It is essential that users see to the removal of their scratch** **files as soon as their job completes,** **because temporary directories are usually a shared resource and there** **is not necessarily an automatic way for files to be deleted from these** **areas.** **Thus, the last command run after** **a job has finished** **should be the** **psiclean** **command.**

**The user must take care to follow certain conventions when choosing filenames.** **Any files which are to be kept after a job completes should not be kept** **in the default temporary directories.  The FILES** **input must be used to specify other locations for the specific files which**  **are to be kept.**   **psiclean** **will ignore files which are specifically listed by number (e.g.,** *PSIF\_CHKPT* **)** **in the FILES section.** **Files which are not needed after the run should use the default path** **given in the input file.  Otherwise, these files will remain on the system**  **and will impede other jobs.**

## EXAMPLE

**Suppose the PSI temporary directories contained the following subdirectories** **and files:**

```
/tmp1/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      16384 Jun  7 19:17 o4big.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      16384 Jun  7 19:17 o4.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     974848 Jun  7 18:41 o4.34
/tmp2/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      10904 Jun  7 18:50 o4big.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      10904 Jun  7 18:50 o4.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     973752 Jun  7 18:41 o4.34
/tmp3/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog       8192 Jun  7 19:17 o4big.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog       8192 Jun  7 19:17 o4.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     966656 Jun  7 18:41 o4.34
```

**Let's also say that the user cpuhog is in a directory which contains** **an input file which has the following line in it:**

```
DEFAULT:FILES:DEFAULT:NAME = "o4"
```

**If the user cpuhog now executes the** **psiclean** **command, then the o4 files in the temporary directories would be** **deleted, leaving the following files:**

```
/tmp1/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      16384 Jun  7 19:17 o4big.30
/tmp2/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      10904 Jun  7 18:50 o4big.30
/tmp3/cpuhog:
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog      14492 Jun 11 16:48 dicubane.30
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog     187320 Jun  8 17:20 diketene.34
-rw-r--r--  1 cpuhog       8192 Jun  7 19:17 o4big.30
```

## AUTHOR

```
C. David Sherrill <sherrill@alum.mit.edu>
```