redx

Find and delete empty directories on Linux.

A small desktop app that scans a folder, shows every empty subdirectory in a colour-coded tree, and lets you delete them safely (to trash by default). You can right-click to protect specific branches, and define rules for what counts as "empty" (for example, "directories containing only *.txt files").

This is a Linux port of the Windows app RED (Remove-Empty-Directories), written in Python with PySide6 (Qt 6). Runs on KDE, GNOME, XFCE, Sway, and any other Linux desktop.

Screenshots

Scan results: empty directories in red, mixed parents in gray, count of "ignored" or "empty" files annotated next to the folder name:

Filters: glob-style ignore patterns for files and directories, plus a "treat zero-byte files as empty" toggle:

Install

Arch, CachyOS, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda: via AUR

yay -S redx       # or paru -S redx, or any AUR helper

The package is at aur.archlinux.org/packages/redx. It pulls the source at the latest tagged release, builds the wheel, runs the test suite during build, and installs system-wide via pacman.

Any other Linux: from source

You need Python 3.11 or newer. No sudo, no system-wide pollution.

git clone https://github.com/mescon/redx.git
cd redx
./install.sh

That installs redx for your user only. When it finishes, open your application menu and search for redx. Click the icon to launch.

To uninstall:

./uninstall.sh

Where things go (source install)

Path	What
~/.local/share/redx/venv/	Private Python venv with the app
~/.local/bin/redx	Optional terminal launcher
~/.local/share/applications/redx.desktop	App menu entry
~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/redx.svg	Icon
~/.local/share/pixmaps/redx.svg	Icon fallback (broader shell support)
~/.config/redx/redx.conf	Settings (created on first close)

Use

1. Click Browse and pick a folder. (You can also drag a folder onto the window from your file manager.)
2. Click Scan. Empty directories show up in red.
3. (Optional) Open the Filters tab and add patterns. For example, *.tmp on its own line means "directories containing only .tmp files count as empty".
4. (Optional) Right-click any folder in the tree, choose Protect, to keep it. Protected folders turn blue. Right-click again to Unprotect.
5. Pick a delete mode (default is Move to trash, which is reversible) and click the big Delete button.

The Log tab keeps a running record of every action with timestamps.

Delete modes

Mode	What it does
Move to trash (default)	Sends folders to your desktop trash. Recoverable.
Delete permanently	Bypasses trash. Faster, but unrecoverable.
Simulate	Pretends to delete. Nothing changes. Use to preview.

Try it on the test sandbox

The repo includes a small generated tree with 12 example cases:

python scripts/build_sandbox.py

Then in the GUI: Browse > pick tests/sandbox > Scan.

Other install options

• AppImage (single portable file): see packaging/README.md
• Flatpak: manifest at packaging/io.github.mescon.redx.yml (skeleton: needs flatpak-pip-generator polish before Flathub submission)
• PyPI: not yet published

Development

git clone https://github.com/mescon/redx.git
cd redx
python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e '.[dev]'
QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen pytest    # 56 tests
python -m redx                      # launch from source

Project layout:

redx/                       Engine + Qt UI (~2000 LoC)
├── config.py               Config dataclass, DeleteMode, NodeStatus
├── scanner.py              Post-order walk, symlink-safe, ignore-pattern aware
├── deleter.py              Four delete modes
├── protect.py              Asymmetric protect/unprotect + iter_deletable
├── ui/                     PySide6 widgets (main window, four tabs, tree)
└── __main__.py             python -m redx and the installed redx script

tests/                      56 tests
├── sandbox_builder.py      Builds the test sandbox
└── sandbox/                Generated, gitignored, 12 cases

scripts/build_sandbox.py    CLI for sandbox regeneration
packaging/                  .desktop, icon, AUR/AppImage/Flatpak metadata
install.sh                  User install (this file)
uninstall.sh                Reverses install.sh

License

LGPL-3.0-or-later, matching upstream RED.

Credits

Original Windows RED by Jonas John (2005), maintained by hxseven and contributors.