From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus. This isn't the first
time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home is back to it's typical
size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical size (give or take) that
I'm looking for. It's a good way to tell if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it. I don't use it that often. It's the one
browser that I use to play one game with, at least that's my only hint until it grows
again, which I'll keep my head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue? It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google-chrome, and of course
I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.
Some good this is. Anyway, ideas?
--
Mint 22.3, Thunderbird 140.11.1esr, Firefox 151.0.4
Alan K.

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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Le 14/06/2026 |a 14:16, Alan K. a |-crit-a:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus. This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home is
back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical size
(give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google- chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't for
the life of me remember what it was. Some good this is.-a-a Anyway, ideas?

hello kids !

so, if you use a appimage ... what you can see in the .foldersMyapp
--
Amicalement,

Frenchy Friendly, & French touch !

german
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Alan K. wrote:

Anyone else see this issue? It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google-chrome, and of course
I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

weights.bin. BTW, same thing here, Chrome is rarely used, weights.bin is
4 gigs, when you delete it, it will be redownloaded..
Removal:

The weights.bin file in your .config/google-chrome/ directory
(specifically inside the OptGuideOnDeviceModel subfolder) is the main installation file for Gemini Nano, Google's local AI model.

This file sparked a lot of discussion recently because Google started
rolling out updates that automatically download this AI model in the backgroundrCowithout asking for your permissionrCoprovided your PC or Linux hardware is powerful enough.

Here are the key details about what this file does and how you can get
rid of it permanently:

What does this file do?
Size: The file takes up a significant 3.5 to 4 Gigabytes of your hard
drive space.

Function: The .bin extension stands for the mathematical "weights" of an artificial neural network. These weights allow Chrome to run generative
AI featuresrCosuch as automatic text help ("Help Me Write"), phishing detection, or website summariesrColocally on your computer.

The Advantage: Your data and texts do not need to be uploaded to
Google's cloud servers for these features, which is a plus for privacy.

The Disadvantage: The download consumes a lot of bandwidth without
warning and eats up valuable storage space.

How to remove the file permanently
If you simply delete the file, Chrome will automatically re-download it
in the background the next time you launch the browser. To block it permanently, you need to disable the underlying feature in Chrome:

Step 1: Turn off the feature in Settings
Open Chrome's Settings (via the three dots in the top right corner).

Click on the System tab in the left sidebar.

Turn off the toggle for On-device AI.

Note: If you don't see this toggle in your version, proceed directly to
Step 2.

Step 2: Block the background download (Chrome Flags)
Type chrome://flags into Chrome's address bar and press Enter.

Search for optimization guide on device using the search bar at the top.

Change the option Enables optimization guide on device from Default to Disabled.

Click the Relaunch button in the bottom right corner to restart Chrome.

Step 3: Delete the file from your system
Now that the feature is disabled, you can safely reclaim your storage
space. Open your terminal and delete the entire AI folder with the
following command:

Bash
rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel/
(Note: If you are using Chromium or a different profile name, the path
might slightly differ, e.g., ~/.config/chromium/...)

Once the flags are disabled, Chrome will no longer attempt to download
the model, and those 4 GB of space will remain yours.

-jw-
--
And now for something completely different...
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus. This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home is
back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical size
(give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google- chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't for
the life of me remember what it was. Some good this is.-a-a Anyway, ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.
--
Once an organization gains any influence, it will be corrupted from both within and without.

Edmund
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:16:25 -0400, Alan K. wrote:

What I can't figure out is what is doing it. I don't use it that
often.
It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at least that's
my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my head on and
remember next time.

Google's AI. If you like Chrome get a de-Googled branch like Brave.

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/fury-google-chrome-ai-model
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On Sun, 6/14/2026 2:46 PM, rbowman wrote:

On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:16:25 -0400, Alan K. wrote:

What I can't figure out is what is doing it. I don't use it that
often.
It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at least that's
my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my head on and
remember next time.

Google's AI. If you like Chrome get a de-Googled branch like Brave.

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/fury-google-chrome-ai-model

Is there a reason for the FOSS "chromium" version to have this ?
Maybe a switch from Chrome to Chromium, will make a slight difference.

Paul

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Edmund wrote:

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus.
This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home is
back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical size
(give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell if
something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that
often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at
least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my
head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google-
chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't
for the life of me remember what it was. Some good this is.-a-a Anyway,
ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.

yes. I don't know why ppl would use google spy ware. I have Firefox,
Helium, Chromium, Brave, and Edge. more than enough for anything. FF is
my default, but of the rest I tend to favor Helium. It's very fast.
--
Linux Mint 22.3

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On 6/15/26 9:59 AM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus.
This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home is
back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical size
(give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell if
something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that
often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at
least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my
head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in ~/.config/google-
chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I purged it and I can't
for the life of me remember what it was. Some good this is.-a-a Anyway, >>> ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.

yes. I don't know why ppl would use google spy ware. I have Firefox,
Helium, Chromium, Brave, and Edge. more than enough for anything. FF is
my default, but of the rest I tend to favor Helium. It's very fast.

Edge? that may be even worse then chrome and why in the world would you
ot anyone wants 5 webbrowsers installed?
--
Once an organization gains any influence, it will be corrupted from both within and without.

Edmund
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Edmund wrote:

On 6/15/26 9:59 AM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus.
This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home
is back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical
size (give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell >>>> if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that
often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at
least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my
head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in
~/.config/google- chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I
purged it and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Some
good this is.-a-a Anyway, ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.

yes. I don't know why ppl would use google spy ware. I have Firefox,
Helium, Chromium, Brave, and Edge. more than enough for anything. FF
is my default, but of the rest I tend to favor Helium. It's very fast.

Edge? that may be even worse then chrome and why in the world would
you ot anyone wants 5 webbrowsers installed?

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf :)
--
Linux Mint 22.3

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never dug too deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I also
use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes affect a site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you need
but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice. I've
nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never dug too deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I also
use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes affect a site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you need
but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice. I've
nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.

does it cause any problems to uninstall apps LM installs when you
install LM?
--
Linux Mint 22.3

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:15:06 +1000, Axel wrote:

rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try
them out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple
tabs in one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for
a specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than
two at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never dug
too deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I
also use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes
affect a site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you
need but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice.
I've nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.

does it cause any problems to uninstall apps LM installs when you
install LM?

It shouldn't although you may need to reconfigure default apps like if FF
is the default browser. What I do is lock the packages like LibreOffice
just in case I may find a use for them but don't want to waste time
updating them.

I've had problems with VS Code on a couple of machines. While I use it
most of the updates are more AI stuff so once it's installed I lock it.
I'm not sure on Mint but I think it's like Ubuntu. 'apt update' works fine
but the GUI updater isn't happy if there are locks.
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On 6/16/26 6:15 AM, Axel wrote:

rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two >>> at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never dug
too
deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I also
use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes affect a
site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you need
but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice. I've
nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.

does it cause any problems to uninstall apps LM installs when you
install LM?

No, why should it?
I uninstall Firefox and thunderbird because I don't need nor want
multiple apps for the same thing.
--
Once an organization gains any influence, it will be corrupted from both within and without.

Edmund
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Edmund wrote:

On 6/16/26 6:15 AM, Axel wrote:

rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try
them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple
tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more
than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never
dug too
deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I
also
use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes
affect a
site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you
need
but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice. I've
nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.

does it cause any problems to uninstall apps LM installs when you
install LM?

No, why should it?

I thought I read somewhere that uninstalling system apps can cause LM to
not boot or work properly

I uninstall Firefox and thunderbird because I don't need nor want
multiple apps for the same thing.

what do you use in lieu of them?
--
Linux Mint 22.3

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On 6/16/26 8:29 AM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/16/26 6:15 AM, Axel wrote:

rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:04:16 +1000, Axel wrote:

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try
them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple
tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more
than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf

I install Brave first thing and it's my browser of choice. I never
dug too
deeply but Khan Academy videos won't play so I open them with FF. I
also
use LibreWolf but like Brave the enhanced security can sometimes
affect a
site.

I know, I know, if you don't like it use Arch and only get what you
need
but I could live without distros installing FF and LibreOffice. I've
nothing against LO but I don't have a use for it.

does it cause any problems to uninstall apps LM installs when you
install LM?

No, why should it?

I thought I read somewhere that uninstalling system apps can cause LM to
not boot or work properly

I uninstall Firefox and thunderbird because I don't need nor want
multiple apps for the same thing.

what do you use in lieu of them?

Brave and Betterbird
--
Once an organization gains any influence, it will be corrupted from both within and without.

Edmund
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

Edmund wrote:

On 6/15/26 9:59 AM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus.
This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home
is back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical
size (give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell >>>> if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that
often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at
least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my
head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in
~/.config/google- chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I
purged it and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Some
good this is.-a-a Anyway, ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.

yes. I don't know why ppl would use google spy ware. I have Firefox,
Helium, Chromium, Brave, and Edge. more than enough for anything. FF
is my default, but of the rest I tend to favor Helium. It's very fast.

Edge?

I have Edge because sometimes pages don't load or work properly in other browsers, as web developers use Edge as their standard for coding, so sometimes I have to use it to get a web page to work properly.

that may be even worse then chrome and why in the world would you ot
anyone wants 5 webbrowsers installed?

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf-a :)
--
Linux Mint 22.3

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On 7/15/26 2:36 PM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/15/26 9:59 AM, Axel wrote:

Edmund wrote:

On 6/14/26 2:16 PM, Alan K. wrote:

Now and then my ~/.config/google-chrome folder becomes 5 gigs plus. >>>>> This isn't the first time I've seen this.
When I purge google the config stays, and I remove it and my home
is back to it's typical size.
I have the disk space desklet running and I can see the typical
size (give or take) that I'm looking for.-a-a It's a good way to tell >>>>> if something is going amok.

What I can't figure out is what is doing it.-a-a I don't use it that >>>>> often.-a It's the one browser that I use to play one game with, at
least that's my only hint until it grows again, which I'll keep my
head on and remember next time.

Anyone else see this issue?-a It's some .bin file in ~/.config/
google- chrome, and of course I'm writing this after I purged it
and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Some good this >>>>> is.-a-a Anyway, ideas?

I guess not many sane people use chrome.
You can safely delete those folders, if something goes wrong, rest
assured, google have the backup of all of it.

yes. I don't know why ppl would use google spy ware. I have Firefox,
Helium, Chromium, Brave, and Edge. more than enough for anything. FF
is my default, but of the rest I tend to favor Helium. It's very fast.

Edge?

I have Edge because sometimes pages don't load or work properly in other browsers, as web developers use Edge as their standard for coding, so sometimes I have to use it to get a web page to work properly.

If so, I would not trust it.
Have and example of such a webpage?

that may be even worse then chrome and why in the world would you ot
anyone wants 5 webbrowsers installed?

FF and chromium are installed by LM. I installed the others to try them
out, and just left them. but often, instead of loading multiple tabs in
one browser for different purposes, I load another browser for a
specific topic or task. it's cleaner and easier than jumping around
between multiple tabs on one browser. I rarely if ever use more than two
at a time though. Oh, I also have LibreWolf-a :)

I don't see how or why that would be easier and you can open one browser multiple times if you want, but hey if it works for you, fine.
--
Once an organization gains any influence, it will be corrupted from both within and without.

Edmund
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.mint

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:36:12 +1000, Axel wrote:

I have Edge because sometimes pages don't load or work properly in other browsers, as web developers use Edge as their standard for coding, so sometimes I have to use it to get a web page to work properly.

Our QA used Chrome mostly although they tested with all browsers. Edge 1.0 wasn't recommended but after Edge 2.0 switched to a chromium base they
tested it and added it to the list of acceptable browsers since all the
clients used Windows and it would already be installed. Prior to Chrome
Firefox was the recommended browser. I forget the version but I think it
was IE 6.0 that had the JavaScript engine from hell.

The web application was Angular and if QA found anything that needed
fixing Firefox was the cause. Nothing major just little inconsistencies
with the rendering. I don't know about Edge specifically but you are
correct that developers use chromium based browsers. Personally I use
Brave although I too have LibreWolf installed. One quirk I've found with
Brave was Khan Academy videos wouldn't play but they worked on FireFox. I haven't tried one for months so that may be fixed.


--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2