SystemRequires admin/root
Zypper Package Cache
openSUSE and SUSE systems using zypper keep downloaded RPM package files under /var/cache/zypp/packages so installs, updates, and reinstalls do not need to fetch the same payload again. This cache can accumulate old package versions, superseded RPMs from previous repository states, and partially downloaded package files after interrupted transactions. Kudu removes those cached RPM archives and incomplete package downloads while leaving installed software, repository settings, accounts, and personal data untouched.
Why clean Zypper Package Cache?
- Superseded RPMs from old update cycles pile up in /var/cache/zypp/packages and can consume multiple gigabytes, which users usually notice as a full root partition and "No space left on device" during updates
- Interrupted downloads leave partial RPM payloads in the cache, and the next install may fail with package checksum or read errors until the broken files are removed and fetched again
- Repository changes and mirror rotations can leave cached packages that no longer match current metadata, leading to confusing install retries and repeated redownloads when zypper refuses the stale file
- Large local package caches slow backup jobs, snapshots, and disk usage scans because every old RPM archive is still being copied or indexed even though the packages are already installed
- On systems with small SSDs or VM disks, package cache growth competes with logs, snapshots, and databases, so users see update failures, slow writes, and low-space warnings long before application data is actually large
- After a failed or canceled patch session, leftover cached packages can make it harder to tell which files are still needed, and cleaning the cache forces zypper to rebuild a consistent download set from current repositories
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Linux
/var/cache/zypp/packages |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Zypper Package Cache
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