feature: clear dune cache

[emillon]

It is pretty common to use dune cache trim to completely remove the cache. The right invocation is dune cache trim --size 0B but it requires finding about --size vs --trimmed-size, adding a B suffix, etc.

I suggest adding a dedicated way to do that. Either dune cache trim --all, or dune cache clear, to be determined.

[nojb]

+1 for dune cache clear.

Another cache-related "missing" feature: some way to print the cache location (maybe as part of dune --verbose output)

[Alizter]

I've had this idea to have a configurable default size for trim for some time now. The idea is that you put some config value in your dune config that gives a default value for size. That way you just have to write dune cache trim on its own with no arguments necessary. This would presumably subsume dune cache clear.

[nojb]

This would presumably subsume dune cache clear.

Not really. dune cache trim without an argument would be used to trim the cache (to your configured size). But sometimes you want to get rid of the cache, not trim it, which is when you would use dune cache clear.

[Alizter]

Right, I was thinking configuring the size to be 0. In which situations would you want to clear the cache rather than trim it?

[nojb]

Right, I was thinking configuring the size to be 0.

I know, but my sense is that the two operations are independently useful.

In which situations would you want to clear the cache rather than trim it?

Liberating disk space punctually, debugging purposes, ...

[Alizter]

I suppose one way dune cache clear would be distinct from dune cache trim is in speed. Trim takes its time calculating sizes, but if you just want to remove all the cache then dune cache clear doesn't need to concern itself with these calculations.

[nojb]

dune cache clear doesn't need to concern itself with these calculations.

Good point.

[nojb]

I took a quick stab at this: #8975

[nojb]

Another cache-related "missing" feature: some way to print the cache location (maybe as part of dune --verbose output)

And also this: #8974