chkdupexe
Check for duplicate executables in search path
SYNOPSIS
chkdupexe [OPTION]... [DIR]...
PARAMETERS
-d, --delete
interactively delete duplicate files (prompts for each)
-D, --delete-all
delete all but first file in each duplicate set (no prompt)
-h, --help
display help and exit
-l, --list
only list duplicates, no other actions
-q, --quiet
suppress normal output
-r, --recurse
recurse into subdirectories (default)
-v, --verbose
increase output verbosity
-V, --version
show version information
DESCRIPTION
chkdupexe is a lightweight Linux utility for detecting duplicate executable files, focusing on ELF binaries like programs and shared libraries. It efficiently identifies duplicates by first grouping files by size to avoid unnecessary computations, then verifying matches with md5sum checksums. This approach minimizes CPU usage while ensuring accuracy for exact duplicates.
Ideal for system maintenance, it helps reclaim disk space in environments with multiple package installations or manual copies. By default, it recurses into subdirectories and reports duplicate sets with paths and sizes. If no directories are specified, it scans common paths: /bin, /boot, /lib, /opt, /sbin, /usr.
Output shows dupelists grouped by checksum, listing all matching files. Options enable listing without action, verbose details, or dangerous deletion modes (with or without prompts). It's non-interactive by default but prompts before deletions unless overridden.
CAVEATS
Only detects exact duplicates via md5sum; misses similar but modified files. Deletion options are destructive—backup first and verify manually. Ignores non-ELF files. Defaults may scan large areas, increasing runtime on full systems.
EXAMPLES
chkdupexe -l /usr/local — list duplicates in /usr/local.
chkdupexe -v /opt — verbose scan of /opt.
chkdupexe -D -q — quietly delete extras system-wide (extreme caution).
DEFAULT PATHS
Scans /bin, /boot, /lib, /opt, /sbin, /usr if no DIR given.
HISTORY
Developed by Micah Cowan around 2006; packaged in Debian since 0.2-1. Remains stable with minor updates for compatibility.
