Which old files and dirs in /usr/tmp can be deleted?

[joseppi]

Which of the following old files and dirs in /usr/tmp can I delete?

Many of them are old, many seem to be redundant, and many have nothing or very little in them, so I don't understand why they stay there, even after a reboot.

-rw------- 1 root root 48 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.TBQyoK
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.GIqT1u
-rw------- 1 root root 61 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.ZdFFpR
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Aug  4  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.31420.iZaAkD
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Aug  4  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.31420.uAXaLC
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Aug 10  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11278.MvLRdl
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Sep  7  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.7730.HPMuoC
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Sep  7  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.7730.g2msVI
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.odxfw4
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.lVSXdy
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.0QjKdM
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Dec 19  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.5500.FxD1fL
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Jun 29 16:43 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.eJT06b
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Jun 29 16:44 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.hLYGR9
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Jun 29 16:45 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.S6fvcw
-rw------- 1 root root 61 Jun 29 16:47 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.cywVtp

-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4622
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4621
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4620
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4625
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4624
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4623
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4626
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4619

drwxrwxr-x 2 joe    joe        4096 Mar 13  2011 scrollkeeper-UNKNOWN/
drwx------ 4 root   root       4096 Jun  3  2011 0242187274/
-rw------- 1 root   root        155 Aug  4  2011 init.5UFrQu
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root     766966 Aug  4  2011 index.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root        216 Aug  4  2011 lomanager-install.log
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Aug 17  2011 init.CkseTK
-rw------- 1 root   root          0 Nov  6  2011 init.EjTmLP
-rw------- 1 root   root          0 Nov  6  2011 init.SbAMmV
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Dec 19  2011 init.HX5yFo
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Dec 19  2011 init.n2hBHn
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Jun  5 17:35 gpg-rhKeMO/
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Jun 20 11:38 gpg-4qjsVm/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Jul  3 14:05 kdecache-root/
-rw------- 1 root   root     119826 Jul 10 08:15 066f25009bd33
-rw------- 1 root   root      25382 Jul 10 08:16 066f25005ef46
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Aug  6 10:02 gpg-cycsCC/
drwx------ 8 joe    joe        4096 Aug 16 14:26 kdecache-joe/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Aug 22 14:23 kde-root/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Aug 22 14:23 ksocket-root/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root      12717 Aug 22 14:23 ddebug.log
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Aug 22 14:23 init.3GW23y
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Aug 22 14:23 gpg-RV0OU7/

[Old-Polack]

Which of the following old files and dirs in /usr/tmp can I delete?

Many of them are old, many seem to be redundant, and many have nothing or very little in them, so I don't understand why they stay there, even after a reboot.

-rw------- 1 root root 48 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.TBQyoK
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.GIqT1u
-rw------- 1 root root 61 Jul 26  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11831.ZdFFpR
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Aug  4  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.31420.iZaAkD
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Aug  4  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.31420.uAXaLC
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Aug 10  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.11278.MvLRdl
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Sep  7  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.7730.HPMuoC
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Sep  7  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.7730.g2msVI
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.odxfw4
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.lVSXdy
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Dec  3  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.13009.0QjKdM
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Dec 19  2011 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.5500.FxD1fL
-rw------- 1 root root 56 Jun 29 16:43 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.eJT06b
-rw------- 1 root root 58 Jun 29 16:44 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.hLYGR9
-rw------- 1 root root 48 Jun 29 16:45 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.S6fvcw
-rw------- 1 root root 61 Jun 29 16:47 dkms_rpm_safe_upgrade_lock.22022.cywVtp

-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4622
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4621
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4620
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4625
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4624
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4623
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4626
-rw------- 1 apache apache 44216320 Aug  1 04:02 core.4619

drwxrwxr-x 2 joe    joe        4096 Mar 13  2011 scrollkeeper-UNKNOWN/
drwx------ 4 root   root       4096 Jun  3  2011 0242187274/
-rw------- 1 root   root        155 Aug  4  2011 init.5UFrQu
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root     766966 Aug  4  2011 index.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root        216 Aug  4  2011 lomanager-install.log
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Aug 17  2011 init.CkseTK
-rw------- 1 root   root          0 Nov  6  2011 init.EjTmLP
-rw------- 1 root   root          0 Nov  6  2011 init.SbAMmV
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Dec 19  2011 init.HX5yFo
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Dec 19  2011 init.n2hBHn
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Jun  5 17:35 gpg-rhKeMO/
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Jun 20 11:38 gpg-4qjsVm/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Jul  3 14:05 kdecache-root/
-rw------- 1 root   root     119826 Jul 10 08:15 066f25009bd33
-rw------- 1 root   root      25382 Jul 10 08:16 066f25005ef46
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Aug  6 10:02 gpg-cycsCC/
drwx------ 8 joe    joe        4096 Aug 16 14:26 kdecache-joe/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Aug 22 14:23 kde-root/
drwx------ 2 root   root       4096 Aug 22 14:23 ksocket-root/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root      12717 Aug 22 14:23 ddebug.log
-rw------- 1 root   root         87 Aug 22 14:23 init.3GW23y
drwx------ 2 joe    joe        4096 Aug 22 14:23 gpg-RV0OU7/

You can stop all running apps, then as root, delete all of them. You can also do that for /tmp and your ~/tmp directories. Log out and log back in, or reboot if you feel it's necessary. Whatever is needed in any of the tmp directories will be recreated as needed.

[joseppi]

Thanks.  I thought that would be the case, but needed to
ask the experts to be safe and sure

[ternor]

Is it actually possible to stop ALL running applications?

[joseppi]

I think if one turns off the computer and unplug it, that will stop almost all applications with the possible exception of the battery powered clock.

[ternor]

Then delete all files in /tmp folders.  I see.  

[Rudge]

Is it actually possible to stop ALL running applications?

I am quite certain the intended "apps" were the ones that you had manually started via a script or command line as the user. Not necessarily all the "processes" that are running via a "ps" command.

Doing that would indeed bring the system to a "halted state"