Remove files that you can easily recreate as needed.

When space gets tight, I also remove files that I know I can reproduce or retrieve again easily. For example, I have a directory of FAQ lists from USENET newsgroups. When space gets tight, I just remove them all — they are reposted once a month anyway, and if I can’t wait that long I can always find them on an FTP site.

Or I might have a figure in both GIF and PostScript formats, and I’ll remove the PostScript version since I know I can always recreate it from the GIF file.

Some of the biggest files on any system are PostScript files that were saved for printing via lpr or for sending a manuscript over email or floppy. PostScript files can often be recreated as needed, so why keep them around? You should make a habit of removing or compressing PostScript files once you don’t need them any more.

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