GitHub Repository Remover

A CLI tool for bulk-deleting GitHub repositories with an interactive interface. Built with .NET 9 and Spectre.Console for a clean terminal experience.

What it does

• Interactive repository selection with a clean multi-select interface
• Secure authentication using GitHub Personal Access Tokens
• Batch deletion of multiple repositories
• Multiple confirmation prompts to prevent accidents
• Real-time progress feedback
• Handles GitHub API rate limits gracefully

Installation

Download Pre-built Executable

Download a pre-built executable for your platform:

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the appropriate executable for your platform:
   • Windows: github-repo-remover-win-x64.exe
   • macOS: github-repo-remover-osx-x64 (Intel) or github-repo-remover-osx-arm64 (Apple Silicon)
   • Linux: github-repo-remover-linux-x64
3. Make the file executable (macOS/Linux): chmod +x github-repo-remover-*

Prerequisites:

• .NET 9.0 runtime (download here)

Build from Source

If you prefer to build from source:

Prerequisites:

• .NET 9.0 SDK

git clone https://github.com/mtfarkas/GithubRepoRemover.git
cd GithubRepoRemover
dotnet build -c Release

How to use it

Basic usage

github-repo-remover --token YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN

Option	Short	What it does	Required
--token	-t	Your GitHub Personal Access Token	Yes

Example

github-repo-remover --token ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here's what happens when you run it:

1. Authenticates with GitHub using your token
2. Fetches all your repositories
3. Shows you an interactive list to choose from
4. Displays your selected repos for review
5. Asks for confirmation (twice!)
6. Deletes the selected repositories with progress updates

Setting up your GitHub token

You'll need a GitHub Personal Access Token with the right permissions.

Creating the token

1. Go to GitHub Settings

   • Visit GitHub.com
   • Click your profile picture → Settings

2. Navigate to Developer Settings

   • Scroll down and click Developer settings
   • Click Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)

3. Create a new token

   • Click Generate new token → Generate new token (classic)
   • Give it a name like "GitHub Repo Remover CLI"

4. Set expiration

   • Pick an expiration date that makes sense
   • Avoid "No expiration" unless you really need it

5. Choose the right permissions

   Important: Your token needs these scopes:

   • ✅ repo - Full control of private repositories
   • ✅ delete_repo - Delete repositories

   Without both of these, the tool won't work. The repo scope lets it read your repository list, and delete_repo does what it says on the tin.

6. Generate and save the token

   • Click Generate token
   • Copy it immediately - GitHub won't show it again!
   • Store it somewhere safe (password manager recommended)

Token security tips

• Never commit tokens to git repositories
• Use a password manager to store them
• Set reasonable expiration dates
• Revoke tokens when you're done with them
• Consider using environment variables for scripts

Using environment variables

If you don't want to type the token every time:

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "your_token_here"
github-repo-remover --token $env:GITHUB_TOKEN

# Linux/macOS
export GITHUB_TOKEN="your_token_here"
github-repo-remover --token $GITHUB_TOKEN

Safety features

This tool tries really hard not to let you accidentally delete things:

• Two separate confirmation prompts before any deletion
• Shows you exactly which repositories will be deleted
• You have to manually select each repository
• Real-time feedback so you know what's happening

Error handling

The tool handles common problems gracefully:

• Invalid or expired tokens get clear error messages
• GitHub rate limiting is handled automatically
• Network problems are reported clearly
• Missing permissions get specific guidance

Building from source

git clone https://github.com/mtfarkas/GithubRepoRemover.git
cd GithubRepoRemover
dotnet restore
dotnet build -c Release

# To run it
dotnet run --project src/GithubRepoRemover -- --token YOUR_TOKEN

Contributing

Pull requests welcome! For big changes, please open an issue first so we can discuss it.

Development setup

You'll need .NET 9.0 SDK installed, then:

1. Clone the repo
2. Run dotnet restore
3. Start hacking!

Building Self-Contained Executables

To create executables for distribution:

# Windows x64
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 -p:PublishSingleFile=true

# macOS x64 (Intel)
dotnet publish -c Release -r osx-x64 -p:PublishSingleFile=true

# macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
dotcom publish -c Release -r osx-arm64 -p:PublishSingleFile=true

# Linux x64
dotnet publish -c Release -r linux-x64 -p:PublishSingleFile=true

The executables will be generated in src/GithubRepoRemover/bin/Release/net9.0/{runtime}/publish/

Note: These are framework-dependent executables that require .NET 9.0 runtime to be installed on the target machine.

License

MIT License

Important warning

This tool permanently deletes GitHub repositories. Once they're gone, they're gone (unless you have backups). Make sure you know what you're doing and have backups of anything important.

I'm not responsible if you accidentally delete something you needed.

Getting help

Run into problems or have ideas?

• Open an issue for bugs or feature requests
• Start a discussion for questions

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Made with ❤️ by mtfarkas