Kill background bloat. Free your RAM. Stay in control.
RamKleener is a Python CLI utility that scans system processes, filters them using a strict safety model, and terminates known memory-heavy background tasks with user confirmation — directly from the terminal.
- Safe by Design — Uses a strict two-tier safety model so only known, non-critical processes are targeted.
- Grouped Process Control — Apps like Chrome or Edge run multiple processes — RamKleener groups them so you can handle everything in one step.
- No Accidental Kills (PID Protection) — Double-checks each process before terminating to avoid mistakes caused by system PID reuse.
- Interactive Customization — Add your own protected apps or kill targets directly through the built-in terminal UI (no config files required).
- Fast Scanning — Efficient filtering ensures quick results even with hundreds of running processes. (O(1) Filtering)
- Clean Terminal UI — Displays RAM usage and results clearly with simple bars, tables, and color-coded statuses.
If it's not clearly safe, it won't be touched.
| Tier | What's Included | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 🔒 Protected | Core system processes, security services, critical apps | Completely locked — cannot be terminated |
| ⚡ Safe to Kill | Browsers, updaters, background services | Eligible for termination |
| ❓ Unknown | Anything not recognized | Ignored by default |
If a process appears in both categories: Protected always wins.
Ensure you have Python 3 installed on your system.
Open your terminal or command prompt and run:
git clone https://github.com/pushkarthisside/RamKleener.git
cd RamKleener
pip install .Note: If you are developing or editing the code yourself, use pip install -e . instead.
Once installed, you can launch the tool from anywhere by simply typing:
ramkleenerWhen you run RamKleener, you will be greeted with the main menu:
1. Scan — show active bloat apps above your RAM threshold
2. Kill all — instantly terminate all flagged processes
3. Kill one by one — step through groups (y=kill, n=skip, q=quit)
4. Customize Lists — interactive UI to manage your Safe and Clean apps
5. Help — view color legends and tool documentation
6. About — version and author info
0. Exit — exits the main menu
Kill one by one is recommended — it groups processes by app so you decide per application (e.g., all of Chrome at once), not per individual PID.
RamKleener features a built-in interactive customization menu so you never have to hunt down hidden system folders or edit raw JSON files.
From the main menu, select 4. Customize Lists.
When you enter the Customize menu, RamKleener automatically scouts your PC for the heaviest running apps.
- Smart Toggle: To manage an app, simply type its
#number from the table (or type an app name manually likespotify). - If the app is not on your list, it gets added.
- If the app is already on your list, it gets removed.
RamKleener uses context-aware colors that change depending on which menu you are managing:
- 🟢 Green (✓ Clean Target): The app is on your kill list and will be closed if it hogs RAM.
- 🔴 Red (🔒 Protected): Critical OS process or blocked by your Safe list. Cannot be added.
- 🟡 Yellow (❓ Neutral): Ignored by RamKleener. Type its number/name to add it to the clean list.
- 🟢 Green (✓ Safe/Locked): Whitelisted app. RamKleener is locked out and the app/process will never get terminated.
- 🔴 Red (
⚠️ Kill Target): Warning! This app is currently on your kill list. - 🟡 Yellow (❓ Neutral): Ignored by RamKleener. Type its name to secure it on the safe list.
(Advanced Users: The raw configuration file is still automatically generated and accessible at ~/.ramkleener/config.json if you prefer manual editing).
I built it because my 8GB RAM laptop was constantly bloated and I couldn't find a tool that was both safe and customizable enough to trust.
RamKleener is the result. It's tuned to my machine, and with a few clicks in the customization menu, it can be perfectly tuned to yours too.
If you run into any issues — installation, config, or anything else — feel free to open an issue.
Cheers 🙂 — hope it helps.