In this article, we will discuss various methods to delete Totem’s history on Ubuntu Natty. Totem is the default video player for Ubuntu and it remembers the list of all the videos you have played. However, there might be times when you want to clear this history. Let’s explore how to do this.
Method 1: Delete the recently-used.xbel file
The recently-used.xbel file is where Totem stores its history. To delete this file, follow these steps:
- Open the “Home Folder” from the Launcher.
- Select the menu option “View – Show Hidden Files”. This will display hidden files.
- Navigate to the
.local/sharefolder. - Delete the file named “recently-used.xbel”.
Method 2: Use the command line
If you’re more comfortable using the terminal, you can delete the recently-used.xbel file with a single command. Here’s how:
- Open a terminal.
- Run the command
rm ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel.
The rm command is used to remove files or directories in Linux. The ~ symbol represents the home directory of the current user, and the / symbol is a directory separator. So, ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel is the path to the recently-used.xbel file in the current user’s home directory.
Method 3: Edit Totem’s configuration file
You can also prevent Totem from storing history by editing its configuration file. Here’s how:
- Open the file
/usr/share/totem/totem.uias root. - Look for the lines
<separator name="recent-separator"/>and<placeholder name="recent-placeholder"/>. - Comment out these lines by adding
<!--before<separatorand<placeholder, and-->after/>. - Save the file.
The <!-- and --> symbols are used to comment out lines in XML, which is the format of the totem.ui file. When a line is commented out, it is ignored by the program that reads the file.
Method 4: Clear the Zeitgeist history
Zeitgeist is a service in Ubuntu that logs the users’ activities and events, anywhere from files opened to websites visited. Totem’s history is also stored in Zeitgeist. To clear it, follow these steps:
- Open a terminal.
- Run the following commands:
rm ~/.local/share/zeitgeist/activity.sqlite zeitgeist-daemon --replace
The first command deletes the activity.sqlite file, which is where Zeitgeist stores its logs. The second command restarts the Zeitgeist daemon, which is the service that logs activities.
Method 5: Use Bleachbit
Bleachbit is a free and open-source disk space cleaner, privacy manager, and computer system optimizer. It can also be used to clear Totem’s history. Here’s how:
- Install Bleachbit from the official website.
- Launch Bleachbit and select Totem cache and history for cleaning.
Please note that some of these methods may require administrative privileges or may affect other aspects of your system’s history. Use them with caution. Also, remember to back up any important data before making changes to system files.
Yes, you can delete Totem’s history without affecting other aspects of your system. The methods mentioned in this article specifically target Totem’s history and do not interfere with other system files or settings.
No, deleting Totem’s history will only remove the record of the videos you have played. It will not delete the actual video files from your system.
No, once you delete Totem’s history, it cannot be recovered. It is recommended to make a backup of any important data before deleting Totem’s history.
Deleting Totem’s history may slightly improve the performance of Totem itself, as it will have fewer records to load. However, the impact on overall system performance is likely to be minimal.
It is not necessary to delete Totem’s history regularly. Deleting it once in a while can be useful if you want to clear the list of videos you have played. However, if you don’t have any specific reason to delete it, there is no need to do so.
