SystemRequires admin/root
Core Dumps
Linux systems using systemd-coredump store compressed process crash dumps and metadata in /var/lib/systemd/coredump after an application or service terminates abnormally. These files can include large ELF core images, journal-linked crash records, stack snapshots, memory pages, and executable mappings kept for post-mortem debugging, and they often accumulate long after a problem has been investigated. Kudu removes old stored core dump files from this systemd-coredump directory without touching active programs, user documents, accounts, passwords, or application settings.
Why clean Core Dumps?
- Repeated crashes from a faulty service can leave behind many compressed core images, and the visible symptom is root filesystem space disappearing even though the app has already been restarted or removed
- Large ELF memory dumps under /var/lib/systemd/coredump can consume multiple gigabytes each, leading to low-disk-space warnings, failed package updates, and journal writes being blocked on small system partitions
- Old crash dumps from resolved bugs clutter coredumpctl results, making current incidents harder to triage because you see pages of obsolete crashes before the one that matters
- Systems with frequent segfault loops can accumulate core files faster than retention policies clean them, and users notice sluggish maintenance tasks and emergency alerts about the disk nearly being full
- Compressed core archives still require disk I/O and inode usage, so a buildup can slow backups, filesystem scans, and security audits that must traverse thousands of stale crash artifacts
- After a package or driver issue has been fixed, retaining historical dumps rarely helps day-to-day operation, while the practical symptom remains wasted storage on servers and workstations with no user-facing benefit
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Linux
/var/lib/systemd/coredump |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Core Dumps
Related cleaners
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