How to Delete a Search History in Linux

Linux keeps a thorough history of all search terms entered when using the built-in find function, the desktop environment-based search engine and even the command line search functions and other information. The accumulation of these database files can slow down system speed, so it is a good idea to clean up these files to maintain peak performance. Moreover, deleting your search history and other unnecessary database files can ensure your privacy by removing any sensitive information or search history that may exist on your Linux computer.

Things You'll Need

• BleachBit application

Instructions

Cleaning Search History from the Command Line

1. Launch Terminal. This is the command prompt for Linux and can usually be found under "Applications," "Accessories." Consult the documentation for your distribution if you are unable to locate Terminal.

2. Create a backup of your search history file by executing the following command:
   cp ~/.gconf/apps/gnome-settings/gnome-search-tool/%gconf.xml ~/.gconf/apps/gnome-settings/gnome-search-tool/%gconf.Bak1.xml

3. Open the search history file in your default text editor to remove all previous searches by executing the following command:
   gedit ~/.gconf/apps/gnome-settings/gnome-search-tool/%gconf.xml

4. Edit and remove search history entries found within the file. There is no Linux interface for deleting your search history, so it is necessary to edit the settings file in a text editor to remove your search history. Remove all <li> entries found after the following element:
   <entry name="history-gsearchtool-file-entry">

5. Save the file. Search history is now cleared.

Automate System Cleaning with BleachBit

1. Download and install BleachBit from bleachbit.sourceforge.net/. Thanks to the open-source nature of Linux, users can create programs to perform functions that may not be included in the operating system. In this case, there are no system maintenance and cleaning applications built into most Linux operating systems, but a community-created application called BleachBit has been designed to fill that gap.

2. Launch BleachBit.

3. Check "Search History" box under the desktop manager sub-menu (i.e. GNOME, KDE, XCFE, etc.).

4. Check any other boxes to remove other data such as browsing history, recent documents and unnecessary system documents.

5. Click "Preview." BleachBit will analyze the data to be removed and present a full list of changes that will be committed.

References

• Gnome.org: GConf configuration system

Resources

• BleachBit