whynowlab

whynowlab / zclean

Public

Stop AI coding tools from eating your RAM. Automatic zombie process cleaner for Claude Code & Codex.

17
0
100% credibility
Found Mar 18, 2026 at 17 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
JavaScript
AI Summary

zclean detects and cleans up orphaned background processes spawned by AI coding tools to reclaim wasted system memory on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

How It Works

1
😩 Computer slows down

You notice your machine getting sluggish after using AI coding helpers that leave behind hidden memory hogs.

2
🔍 Find zclean

You learn about zclean, a friendly tool that spots and removes these sneaky leftovers automatically.

3
🚀 Set it up once

With a single easy step, you install zclean and it prepares to keep your computer clean.

4
👀 Peek at the culprits

Run a quick scan to see a list of old processes eating your RAM and how much space they hold.

5
🧹 Clean house

Give the go-ahead, and zclean safely removes the zombies, freeing up gigabytes instantly.

6
🛡️ Turn on protection

zclean sets up automatic checks at session ends and hourly sweeps so problems never return.

🎉 Speedy machine forever

Your computer runs fast and smooth, with no more surprise slowdowns from forgotten AI helpers.

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Star Growth

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AI-Generated Review

What is zclean?

zclean is a JavaScript CLI tool that scans and kills zombie processes left by AI coding tools like Claude Code and Codex, reclaiming RAM from orphaned MCP servers, sub-agents, headless browsers, and build watchers. Run `zclean` for a dry-run scan showing suspects, `zclean --yes` to clean, or `npx z-clean init` to install a SessionEnd hook plus hourly auto-clean via launchd, systemd, or Task Scheduler. It solves the RAM drain from tools that spawn children but don't always clean up on crashes or quits, acting like ccleaner for stop coding ai leftovers.

Why is it gaining traction?

Unlike manual process hunting or generic cleaners, zclean targets AI-specific patterns with safety nets like parent-alive checks, whitelists, and re-verification before kills, skipping tmux, PM2, Docker, and VS Code kids. The one-command init sets up session hooks and scheduled scans cross-platform, with logs and config for thresholds like 24h age or 500MB memory. Developers dig the "set it and forget it" vibe amid non stop coding sessions and stop github copilot RAM hogs.

Who should use this?

AI-heavy coders running Claude Code or Codex daily, especially on laptops where zombie Chrome or node instances pile up during long sessions. Frontend devs with vite/esbuild watchers or backend folks using npm exec tasks will notice the RAM wins; ideal if you're tweaking start stop coding vw scripts or battling stop github actions runner leaks.

Verdict

Grab it if AI tools are zombie-fying your machine—solid docs and CLI make the 17 stars and 1.0% credibility score forgivable for this niche early project. Test in dry-run first; uninstall is clean if it misses your patterns.

(198 words)

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