Mole - Mac Cleanup & Optimization Tool

Repo: https://github.com/tw93/Mole Command: mo (not mole!) Install: brew install mole

Note for humans: mo without params opens an interactive TUI mode. Not useful for agents, but you might wanna try it manually! 😉

What It Does

All-in-one toolkit combining CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus:

• Deep cleaning — removes caches, logs, browser leftovers
• Smart uninstaller — removes apps + hidden remnants
• Disk insights — visualizes usage, manages large files
• Live monitoring — real-time system stats
• Project artifact purge — cleans node_modules, target, build, etc.

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Non-Interactive Commands (Clawd-friendly)

Preview / Dry Run (ALWAYS USE FIRST)

mo clean --dry-run              # Preview cleanup plan
mo clean --dry-run --debug      # Detailed preview with risk levels & file info
mo optimize --dry-run           # Preview optimization actions
mo optimize --dry-run --debug   # Detailed optimization preview

Execute Cleanup

mo clean                        # Run deep cleanup (caches, logs, browser data, trash)
mo clean --debug                # Cleanup with detailed logs

System Optimization

mo optimize                     # Rebuild caches, reset services, refresh Finder/Dock
mo optimize --debug             # With detailed operation logs

What mo optimize does:

• Rebuild system databases and clear caches
• Reset network services
• Refresh Finder and Dock
• Clean diagnostic and crash logs
• Remove swap files and restart dynamic pager
• Rebuild launch services and Spotlight index

Whitelist Management

mo clean --whitelist            # Manage protected cache paths
mo optimize --whitelist         # Manage protected optimization rules

Project Artifact Purge

mo purge                        # Clean old build artifacts (node_modules, target, venv, etc.)
mo purge --paths                # Configure which directories to scan

Config file: ~/.config/mole/purge_paths

Installer Cleanup

mo installer                    # Find/remove .dmg, .pkg, .zip installers

Scans: Downloads, Desktop, Homebrew caches, iCloud, Mail attachments

Setup & Maintenance

mo touchid                      # Configure Touch ID for sudo
mo completion                   # Set up shell tab completion
mo update                       # Update Mole itself
mo remove                       # Uninstall Mole from system
mo --version                    # Show installed version
mo --help                       # Show help

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Typical Workflow

1. Check what would be cleaned:

   mo clean --dry-run --debug
   

2. If looks good, run cleanup:

   mo clean
   

3. Optimize system (after cleanup):

   mo optimize --dry-run
   mo optimize
   

4. Clean dev project artifacts:

   mo purge
   

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What Gets Cleaned (mo clean)

• User app cache
• Browser cache (Chrome, Safari, Firefox)
• Developer tools (Xcode, Node.js, npm)
• System logs and temp files
• App-specific cache (Spotify, Dropbox, Slack)
• Trash

Notes

• Terminal: Best with Ghostty, Alacritty, kitty, WezTerm. iTerm2 has issues.
• Safety: Use --dry-run first. Built with strict protections.
• Debug: Add --debug for detailed logs.