List Empty Directories as Cleanup Candidates

A cache tree may contain abandoned empty directories and you need to review them before cleanup.

Command

find /lab/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app -xdev -depth -type d -empty -print

Before you run this

System impact: Read-only. Can create load on large logs, directories, filesystems, or process tables.

When not to use it: Do not delete empty directories that applications expect to exist unless startup or deploy code recreates them.

Expected output

Paths to empty directories under the selected cache tree.

System impact

Read-only, can be slow. Nothing changes. The command prints empty directories without removing them.

May require elevated permissions on protected paths or service-owned files.

Scope this to the smallest useful path or service on busy systems.

Recovery / rollback: no state is changed.

When to use it

Use before pruning empty cache or working directories after a migration, deploy, or failed job.

When not to use it

Do not delete empty directories that applications expect to exist unless startup or deploy code recreates them.

Watch this command run

Command transcript

This sanitized transcript shows the commands and output shape without exposing host details.

demo@lab:~$

$ find /work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app -xdev -maxdepth 3 -type d -print | sort

/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app
/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app/empty-old
/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app/shards
/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app/shards/a
/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app/shards/b

$ find /work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app -xdev -depth -type d -empty -print

/work/disk-inode-cleanup/var/cache/app/empty-old

View commands shown

These are the commands shown in the sanitized transcript.