nix-collect-garbage:tldr:0bfbe

The command sudo nix-collect-garbage --delete-old --dry-run is used to collect and delete unnecessary or unused files from the Nix package manager's binary cache.

Here is what each part of the command does:

• sudo: This command is used to execute the following command with administrative privileges. It allows the user to perform actions that require root or superuser access.

• nix-collect-garbage: This is a Nix command that clears unneeded files from the binary cache.

• --delete-old: This flag tells nix-collect-garbage to remove old entries from the binary cache. It deletes unused packages, generations, and other outdated files.

• --dry-run: This flag is used for testing purposes and allows you to preview the changes that will be made without actually deleting anything. It shows a list of files that would be removed if the command were run without the --dry-run flag.

By running sudo nix-collect-garbage --delete-old --dry-run, you can see the list of files and packages that would be deleted if the command were executed without the --dry-run flag. It helps you understand the impact of the command and make sure you're not unintentionally removing important files.