If you have not yet installed IBMs Installation Manager, check out my article on installing Installation Manager.

By default, Installation Manager will store files used to roll back to a prior package in the /home/your_username/IBM/IMShared/files directory. This can cause the /home directory (on a Linux system) to run low on free space.

~]$ ll /home/john.doe/IBM/IMShared/files/
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users 164089790 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.JDK8.64bit.jdk.linux.x8664_8.0.5010.20180214_1001.tar.gz
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     54587 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.backup.nsf.v90_9.0.0.201605261827.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     55196 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.backup.nsf.v90_9.0.5000.20190423_0000.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users      8630 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.generate.jdk.productfile_9.0.0.20160208_0000.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users      8698 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.generate.jdk.productfile_9.0.0.20171108_0000.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     22700 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.permission.utils_8.5.0.20120309_1010.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users   1890629 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_003_dist.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users   1890629 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_003_dist.all_x_9.0.5007.202103011838.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users   1890629 Sep 29  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_003_dist.all_x_9.0.5009.202108230535.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     89156 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_004_dist.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     89350 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_004_dist.all_x_9.0.5007.202103011838.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     89351 Sep 29  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_004_dist.all_x_9.0.5009.202108230535.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     79055 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_005_dist.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     79554 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_005_dist.all_x_9.0.5007.202103011838.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     79554 Sep 29  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_005_dist.all_x_9.0.5009.202108230535.file
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users   7032032 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_033_unixDist.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.file

• preference com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts=false can be used to not save files used for roll back in the /home/your_username/IBM/IMShared/files directory.
• preference com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.keepFetchedFiles=false can be used to to not save files if some error occurs when attempting to install a package.

These preferences would only be used when using the imcl command to install, update, or uninstall packages.

/path/to/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl install com.ibm.websphere.BASE.v90_9.0.6.20171205_1311
-repositories /tmp/was
-installationDirectory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer
-acceptLicense
-prompt
-preferences com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts=false
-preferences com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.keepFetchedFiles=false

Similarly, if you are installing, updating or deleting packages using a response.xml file, you can define preferences in your XML file.

<preference
	name = 'com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts'
	value = 'false'>
</preference>

The imcl deleteSavedFiles command can be used to delete files from the /home/your_username/IBM/IMShared/files directory.

/path/to/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl deleteSavedFiles -showVerboseProgress

Someting like this should be returned.

Searching for saved files.
Cleaning up saved files.
Cleaning up saved files.
(100% of < 1 MB at 540 KB/sec; 0 seconds remain)
(100% of < 1 MB at 5478 KB/sec; 0 seconds remain)
(100% of < 1 MB at 3069 KB/sec; 0 seconds remain)
Deleting file com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_068_all.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.
Deleting zip com.ibm.websphere.PLG.legal_001_all.all 9.0.5015.202303220252.
Deleting zip com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_092_all.all_x 9.0.5015.202303220313.
Deleting file com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_064_all.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.
Deleting file com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_058_all.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.
Deleting file com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_055_all.all_x_9.0.5007.202103011838.
Deleting file com.ibm.websphere.PLG.plgonly_070_all.all_x_9.0.0.201605262331.
(100% of < 1 MB at 10956 KB/sec; 0 seconds remain)
(100% of < 1 MB)

Don't be surprised if a few files remain. The imcl deleteSavedFiles will only remove files that can be safely removed without breaking Installation Manager.

~]$ ll /home/john.doe/IBM/IMShared/files/
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users 164089790 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.JDK8.64bit.jdk.linux.x8664_8.0.5010.20180214_1001.tar.gz
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     54587 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.backup.nsf.v90_9.0.0.201605261827.jar
-rw-r--r--. 1 john.doe users     55196 Aug 19  2021 com.ibm.was.permission.utils_8.5.0.20120309_1010.jar