Remove .DS_Store files

Today’s quick tip to in my edition of performing tasks without third party tools, this one is based around getting rid of the .DS_Store files.

.DS_Store files are created when you use Mac’s finder to browse folders. When you browse a new folder the .DS_Store file is automatically created, and stores information of the folders view settings etc.

Although these files are generally tiny, transferring them to web servers can expose information about your file structure.

For those of you who prefer to avoid terminal windows, check out ‘Tom Xs‘ AppleScript

For the more tech savvy out there, the following will essentially perform the same task:

1. Open Finder
2. Open the Utilities folder
3. Open a terminal window
4. Copy and paste the following line in:
   
   PHP

   sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" -depth -exec rm {} ;

   1	sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" -depth -exec rm {} ;

5. Press return

This will sweep your drive and remove all .DS_Store files. Personally, I think this tip only really applies to the OCD OS X users, and serves little purpose if you are going to continue using Finder to browse folders.