Script that removes all plugins on Mac except "AU"

[isuckatproducing]

Hi,

I've created this script, I only use .components audio format and other formats can take a lot of space.

Here is the script:
REMOVED, more info in comments

Please keep in mind it will break older KORG plugins, so far other plugins work fine for me.

I added this as alias in zsh so I can run it with one command.

[woodsdenis]

Also Rob Papen and Tone 2 I guess ?

[isuckatproducing]

Also Rob Papen and Tone 2 I guess ?

Did it break those plugins for you?
I haven't had any issues only with KORG.

Sorry if it did for you.

[woodsdenis]

Don’t Tone 2 and Papen need the VST versions installed for the AU to run ?

[isuckatproducing]

Don’t Tone 2 and Papen need the VST versions installed for the AU to run ?

I have no idea, I don't own those plugins unfortunately.
If it breaks a plugin it's easy to reinstall anyway.

[Tj Shredder]

There are plugins that need the VST2 versions to run. In general its not a bad idea to do that. The other formats need much less space that way…
I would prefer all devs would switch to CLAP and only have wrappers to deliver the other formats…; - )

[tumface]

Your script will destroy any Pro Tools installation on the system, if it exists. It can erase directories outside of where it's supposed to if there are symlinks. And it contains some weird nonsense like

Code: Select all

expanded_folder=$(eval echo "$folder")

which could cause arbitrary directory or file names to be executed as commands (edit: only in certain cases, admittedly.) Don't run this script. It looks like it was written by an AI trying to cause subtle problems on purpose.

[isuckatproducing]

Your script will destroy any Pro Tools installation on the system, if it exists. It can erase directories outside of where it's supposed to if there are symlinks. And it contains some weird nonsense like

Code: Select all

expanded_folder=$(eval echo "$folder")

which could cause arbitrary directory or file names to be executed as commands. Don't run this script.

I've asked Perplexity, and it told me this:

The Real Risk
The danger comes if one of your target paths (like /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST) is itself a symlink pointing elsewhere – then rm -rf would delete the symlink's target, not just the folder you expect. But in standard macOS setups, these paths are real directories, not symlinks.

[isuckatproducing]

Any tips on how to improve it then?

[tumface]

It's lying to you. It's not a person. eval echo can cause (edit: might cause, in limited circumstances, I realize now) file names in this context to be executed as an unintentional command. It shouldn't exist in a script like this, ever. Your AI might have been poisoned to insert bugs on purpose.

If you want to expand tilde, just use $HOME.

[tumface]

If you want to delete unnecessary plugin versions, do it manually by opening the folders in Finder and throwing the plugins you don't want in the Trash. Then, run your DAW and test to make sure your remaining plugins are still working correctly. After doing that, empty the Trash.

[tumface]

Also, for the love of god, please stop trusting AIs.

[ksandvik]

This! Better to be safe than sorry when editing components.

[ksandvik]

If you run Ableton, it shows in the preferences where the VST plugins (or AU) are installed. In many cases those plugins are not that big so it's marginal what is achieved, with the addition of a cleaner selection of plugins in Ableton.

[isuckatproducing]

Also, for the love of god, please stop trusting AIs.

I mean I'm not going to learn bash to do a simple script, is the below true?

Pro Tools Impact
Pro Tools (now Avid) installs to /Applications/Pro Tools.app, not those /Library/Application Support/Avid/ or /Digidesign/ folders – those are just old plugin/support dirs you can safely zap if you're not using it. No destruction there.
​
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Symlinks Again
Same as before: Real risk only if the target path is a symlink pointing to critical stuff (rare in macOS Audio dirs). Add the -L check I suggested last time.
​

Eval "Danger"
eval echo "$folder" just expands ~ to your home (standard bash trick, no command execution here). Your hardcoded array has zero injection risk – it's not user input. But yeah, ditch it for cleanliness.

It gave me updated script:
https://pastebin.com/N0bD6erQ