Large file in chromium config directory is making very large snapshot rw.sfs

[TerryH]

Following the update to Easy 6.6.2, I noticed that the rw-6.6.2.sfs created was quite large (1335 MB). I cleared the cache and created a new snapshot but it was a similar size. I tracked it down to chromium .config file. The file /home/.config/chromium/Default/File System/010/p/00/00000000 is 919 M. It has been this size since 12 Jan 2025, I don't have any releases which predate this date to check.
So, what is it for, can I delete it?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Wiz57]

@TerryH
I don't use chromium very often, but my first thought is this is probably some sort of "cache", related possibly to prefetch etc . that is supposed to speed up loading of frequently visited sites. You may be able to control how much space is used by checking in the settings of chromium, and possibly delete the cached files. To find this, click on the "3 vertical dots" hamburger menu, choose Settings, then look for Privacy and Security, should be in there, you can see how much space is being used.

[williwaw]

rename it and see what the difference is?

[TerryH]

@TerryH
I don't use chromium very often, but my first thought is this is probably some sort of "cache", related possibly to prefetch etc . that is supposed to speed up loading of frequently visited sites. You may be able to control how much space is used by checking in the settings of chromium, and possibly delete the cached files. To find this, click on the "3 vertical dots" hamburger menu, choose Settings, then look for Privacy and Security, should be in there, you can see how much space is being used.

Thanks Wiz, I didn't know if it was cache, so thought I'd ask first. As you advised, I deleted all the cache and that file and a whole lot more went. The config file following this was 84MB, much better. I then went and re-input 4 passwords, including Puppy Forum. I didn't browse, other than signing in. Checked the size of the config file after this and it had ballooned to 328 MB. Unbelievable how quick it piles up.

I ran gdmap against the config file, found a cache file that was already 100+ MB cache file, which I had deleted. I also found this file libchromescreenai.so which is 88 MB. So there is some screen AI executable in the config directory.

I added --disk-cache-size=100000000 to the chromium.desktop file to try and restrict the maximum cache size to 100 MB. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

@williwaw Thanks, I was going to try that. Clearing all the cache got rid of it. As it hadn't changed from the 919 MB it was in January, I didn't think it was cache. But hopefully I've got a handle on it now. Generally I use Firefox, but decided I'd stick with the default in EasyOS.



Edit: If you have zoom installed, I also found when I did a search using pfind for libchromescreenai.so, that there is also a version of this same executable in the zoom config directory.

[BarryK]

TerryH,
919MB, that's awful!

The 100MB limit will be in the next release of EasyOS, see blog post:

https://bkhome.org/news/202502/limit-ch ... -size.html

[williwaw]

I also added --disk-cache-size=1 and Defaults is 196M after loading a dozen pages

[BarryK]

After a bit more reading, it seems the "--disk-cache-size=" only sets the limit of /home/chromium/.cache

There doesn't seem to be any way of limiting "/home/chromium/.config/chromium/Default/File System"
However, it can be turned off.

I have changed /usr/local/clients/setup-client:

Code: Select all

.... --disk-cache-size=20000000 --disable-file-system

https://www.ghacks.net/2015/06/24/hard- ... em-folder/

Here is a list of chromium/chrome commandline options:

https://peter.sh/experiments/chromium-c ... -switches/

Yes, that did the trick:

Code: Select all

# du -m -s /home/chromium/.config/chromium/Default/File\ System/
1	/home/chromium/.config/chromium/Default/File System/

[Wiz57]

@BarryK Curious, I may try that commandline option, but I wonder if disabling file-system-access will interfere with the ability to upload/download files, or otherwise interact with files on your system? Guess trial and error is the only way to know for sure. The file-system-access API has been used to create little "web apps" like text editors and such, so that is why I wonder what disabling it will do.

[BarryK]

@BarryK Curious, I may try that commandline option, but I wonder if disabling file-system-access will interfere with the ability to upload/download files, or otherwise interact with files on your system? Guess trial and error is the only way to know for sure. The file-system-access API has been used to create little "web apps" like text editors and such, so that is why I wonder what disabling it will do.

Yeah, I was wondering what the repercussions would be. An awful lot of stuff is getting stored into that "File System" folder.

Found this, which makes me more confused than before:

https://cloudfour.com/thinks/the-many-c ... stem-apis/

Quoting the author, after he had spent sometime trying to understand FileSystemAPI:

Friends, I’m not going to lie to you. At this point, I spent a long time looking out the window and considered moving to the country to raise goats.

As far as I can make out, FileSystemAPI is a mechanism for the browser to be able to read/write to the local filesystem. Which immediately raises a red flag for me.

Also, have seen no explanation why so much stuff is being dumped into "File System" folder ...unless it is a "backdoor" that allows webpages to download and stash stuff. Dunno, just guessing.

Quoting again:

The File System API is a WHATWG living standard that “defines fundamental infrastructure for file system APIs. In addition, it defines an API that makes it possible for websites to get access to a file system directory without having to first prompt the user for access.”

...gulp!

[Wiz57]

Yep, it does make you wonder just what is all that stuff for??!!! In one of the linked articles you posted above, the author had 3gb of stuff! He thought it might be remnants of downloading at mega.nz, seemed he suffered no ill effects when the 00000000 file was deleted. Wonder if the storage space is sort of the same for all chromium and derivatives? I didn't find any file like that on my Win11 with MS Edge, which is, well, unexpected! If we could sort of pin down the location, we could script a cleanup routine to optionally run when shutting down Chrome?

[TerryH]

Since I did the cleanup, i didn't disable File System. I am just monitoring the space used. Currently it is only taking up 56 K, it hasn't filled up again. The file 00000000 hasn't returned and doesn't appear to have been replaced with something else.

[williwaw]

if you delete your configs before starting chomium, then many sites will complain.
the complainers are usually big media sites that also the ones guilty of adding 50 -100 M chunks of data to your profile.
is there some sort of quid pro quo expected when you visit certian sites?
something available to the server thru the browser?

[BarryK]

I've been running Chromium with "--disable-file-system" for a couple of days, with no ill effects.
The content of that "File System" folder has stayed at 28KB.

I've just been doing the usual things; forum, bank account, gmail, youtube, it all works as before.

Note, in my case "File System" folder was 384MB before.

[williwaw]

I've been running Chromium with "--disable-file-system" for a couple of days, with no ill effects.
The content of that "File System" folder has stayed at 28KB.

I've just been doing the usual things; forum, bank account, gmail, youtube, it all works as before.

Note, in my case "File System" folder was 384MB before.

Barry, could you state the absolute path and name of that "File System" folder?
tx

[TerryH]

I've been running Chromium with "--disable-file-system" for a couple of days, with no ill effects.
The content of that "File System" folder has stayed at 28KB.

I've just been doing the usual things; forum, bank account, gmail, youtube, it all works as before.

Note, in my case "File System" folder was 384MB before.

Barry, could you state the absolute path and name of that "File System" folder?
tx

Mine is shown highlighted in the original post. The directory/filename after 'File System' may be different than mine.

[BarryK]

TerryH,
The path in the first post is not quite correct. Correct path:

Code: Select all

/home/chromium/.config/chromium/Default/File System

[williwaw]

TerryH,
The path in the first post is not quite correct. Correct path:

Code: Select all

/home/chromium/.config/chromium/Default/File System

thanks for that. I have updated today to chromium-ungoogled-132.0.6834.159-x86_64-1 and do not actually have a Default/File System folder.

/Defaults does grow significantly as I browse, so I must assume the --disable-file-system parameter only applies to the /File System subfolder.

My portable overwrites spot/.config/chromium-ungoogled at each browser startup, so I cannot predict how big /Defaults might get over time.