BleachBit, a free and open-source cross-platform system cleaning utility designed to help users reclaim disk space and protect their privacy, has just released a new major version, 5.0.
Users will appreciate the newly added display‑language option in “Preferences,” which allows quick switching between supported languages without delving into configuration files. In addition, standard keyboard shortcuts such as “Ctrl+Q” and “Ctrl+W” now close the application, while update notifications have been tempered to be less intrusive.
At the command line, the previously misbehaving ”–debug” switch has been fixed, and portability has been bolstered by ensuring personal cleaners load correctly, even in portable mode. Equally noteworthy is the enhanced multi‑user support: BleachBit now properly ignores processes owned by other users, thereby avoiding unintended interference on shared systems.
On the Linux front, version 5.0 introduces a host of new and improved cleaners. For instance, Librewolf and non‑beta releases of Microsoft Edge can now be cleaned automatically. At the same time, temporary files created by Bash and Geary (the lightweight email client) are likewise purged more thoroughly.
Additionally, rotated log cleaning has been fine‑tuned, and broken ”.desktop” file entries are removed more reliably. Plus, an AppIndicator icon has been added for desktop environments that support it.
On the Windows front, users benefit from a slew of security‑focused and framework updates. Crucial DLL‑related vulnerabilities have been patched, and support for MMC snap‑ins such as Device Manager has been reinforced. Under the hood, the application has moved up to Python 3.11.10 and GTK 3.24.43, while the NSIS installer now runs on version 3.11.
Furthermore, metadata has been enriched—bleachbit.exe now embeds the company name—and legacy support for Windows XP and 7 has been dropped in favor of cleaner, more secure code. Finally, a visual refresh updates the Windows 10 theme, and update‑check failures due to SSL certificate errors are now fixed.
Things that have not yet been ironed out. Changing the display language takes immediate effect everywhere except the application menu—users should restart BleachBit to see the new language reflected there, too.
Moreover, Windows installers and portable packages are substantially larger than in the previous 4.6.2 release due largely to updated frameworks and disabled executable decompression. For those pressed for disk space, simple optimizations, such as compressing DLL and PYD files with UPX or removing unused language files, can recoup tens of megabytes.
Finally, forthcoming BleachBit versions are expected to introduce a cookie manager (with UI preview available), a redesigned interface, faster free space wiping, and even over‑the‑air updates for an expanding library of cleaners.
For more information, see the announcement. Linux users can find installation packages for their specific distribution here.
