Say in --help where the database is and what each report prints (closes #177)

The help of sfdupes and of scan names the database, its default path
and SFDUPES_DATABASE. The help of report and trees lists the columns,
the order of the rows and the four escapes. The help of info lists its
lines. The help of dwim says that it scans /, should run as root and
keeps the scan in the database.

The README's opening drops its sentence on copies deleted after the
scan, an edge case that its report and trees sections already cover.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ walk"). As the file `/etc/cron.d/sfdupes`:
     - one line naming the database;
     - progress lines, as described under "Progress";
     - a warning for each path it skips;
-    - a line for each system, temporary or cache directory the walk leaves out
+    - a line for each system or temporary directory the walk leaves out (see
-      (see "Rules for the walk");
+      "Rules for the walk");
     - a line for each path left out because its filesystem is one the kernel,
       the core of the operating system, makes up or keeps in memory, such as
       `tmpfs`;
@@ -301,9 +301,8 @@ The reference below is also the program's specification.
   directories on other filesystems, as the same flag does for `du` and `rsync`.
   By default the walk also enters directories on other filesystems.
 - `--no-default-excludes` (`scan`) lets the walk enter the default excludes.
-  Those are the system, temporary and cache directories the walk otherwise
+  Those are the system and temporary directories the walk otherwise leaves out,
-  leaves out, such as `/var/tmp` and `/var/cache` on Linux (see "Rules for the
+  such as `/var/tmp` on Linux (see "Rules for the walk").
-  walk").
 - `--exclude PATH` (`scan`) keeps the walk out of `PATH` and everything below
   it. `PATH` may be a directory or a file. The flag may be given more than once.
   The walk knows `PATH` by its device ID and inode number, as it knows the
@@ -572,18 +571,13 @@ walk practical on large or busy storage pools.
     it, as described under "What a scan does to the database".
     `--no-default-excludes` does not change this rule.
 
-- Below an operand, the walk does not enter a default exclude. The default
+- Below an operand, the walk does not enter a default exclude. On Linux, the
-  excludes hold the kernel's view of the running system, temporary files, and
+  default excludes hold temporary files and the kernel's view of the running
-  caches. A cache here is data that programs and package managers download or
+  system. They depend on the system, and `sfdupes scan --help` lists those of
-  build again on their own. The default excludes depend on the system, and
+  the system it runs on. On Linux they are:
-  `sfdupes scan --help` lists those of the system it runs on. In the lists, `*`
-  stands for any one directory name, so `/home/*/.cache` matches
-  `/home/alice/.cache`. On Linux they are:
 
     ```
-    /proc, /sys, /dev, /run, /tmp, /var/tmp, /var/cache
+    /proc, /sys, /dev, /run, /tmp, /var/tmp
-    /root/.cache, /root/.npm, /root/.cargo/registry, /root/go/pkg/mod
-    /home/*/.cache, /home/*/.npm, /home/*/.cargo/registry, /home/*/go/pkg/mod
     ```
 
     On macOS they are:
@@ -591,21 +585,13 @@ walk practical on large or busy storage pools.
     ```
     /dev, /private/tmp, /private/var/tmp, /private/var/vm
     /System/Volumes/VM, /System/Volumes/Data
-    /private/var/folders, /Library/Caches
-    /private/var/root/Library/Caches, /private/var/root/.cache
-    /private/var/root/.npm, /private/var/root/.cargo/registry
-    /private/var/root/go/pkg/mod
-    /Users/*/Library/Caches, /Users/*/.cache, /Users/*/.npm
-    /Users/*/.cargo/registry, /Users/*/go/pkg/mod
     ```
 
-    `/private/var/folders` holds each user's temporary files and caches on
+    A walk of `/` on macOS reaches everything in `/System/Volumes/Data` already,
-    macOS. Root's home on macOS is `/var/root`, which the walk reaches as
+    through firmlinks. Firmlinks are the links macOS uses to show the data
-    `/private/var/root`. A walk of `/` on macOS reaches everything in
+    volume inside the system volume. Walking `/System/Volumes/Data` as well
-    `/System/Volumes/Data` already, through firmlinks. Firmlinks are the links
+    would record each of those files twice. Any other system has no default
-    macOS uses to show the data volume inside the system volume. Walking
+    excludes.
-    `/System/Volumes/Data` as well would record each of those files twice. Any
-    other system has no default excludes.
 
     An operand at or inside a default exclude is walked, so
     `sfdupes scan /tmp/x` works when `/tmp/x` is on a persistent filesystem.

TODO.md

@@ -29,13 +29,6 @@
 Newest first. An entry ends with its date and its issue or branch, where those
 are known.
 
-- The default excludes cover caches as well. On Linux they add `/var/cache`. In
-  `/root` and in each home in `/home` they add `.cache`, `.npm`,
-  `.cargo/registry` and `go/pkg/mod`. On macOS they add `/private/var/folders`
-  and `/Library/Caches`. In `/private/var/root` and in each home in `/Users`
-  they add `Library/Caches` and the same four. `--no-default-excludes` still
-  turns them all off (2026-11-11, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/181)
-
 - The help of `sfdupes` and of `scan` names the database, its default path and
   `SFDUPES_DATABASE`. The help of `report` and `trees` lists the columns, the
   order of the rows and the escapes. The help of `info` lists its lines. The

internal/sfdupes/exclude.go

@@ -72,31 +72,14 @@ type walkRules struct {
 func defaultExcludes(goos string) []string {
 	switch goos {
 	case goosLinux:
-		// The kernel's view of the running system, temporary files, and
+		return []string{"/proc", "/sys", "/dev", "/run", "/tmp", "/var/tmp"}
-		// caches that programs and package managers fill again on their
-		// own: the system's, root's and those in each home in /home.
-		return []string{
-			"/proc", "/sys", "/dev", "/run", "/tmp", "/var/tmp", "/var/cache",
-			"/root/.cache", "/root/.npm", "/root/.cargo/registry",
-			"/root/go/pkg/mod",
-			"/home/*/.cache", "/home/*/.npm", "/home/*/.cargo/registry",
-			"/home/*/go/pkg/mod",
-		}
 	case goosDarwin:
 		// A walk of / reaches everything in /System/Volumes/Data through
 		// the firmlinks, so walking it as well would record each of
-		// those files twice. /private/var/folders holds each user's
+		// those files twice.
-		// temporary files and caches. The walk reaches root's home,
-		// /var/root, as /private/var/root.
 		return []string{
 			"/dev", "/private/tmp", "/private/var/tmp", "/private/var/vm",
 			"/System/Volumes/VM", "/System/Volumes/Data",
-			"/private/var/folders", "/Library/Caches",
-			"/private/var/root/Library/Caches", "/private/var/root/.cache",
-			"/private/var/root/.npm", "/private/var/root/.cargo/registry",
-			"/private/var/root/go/pkg/mod",
-			"/Users/*/Library/Caches", "/Users/*/.cache", "/Users/*/.npm",
-			"/Users/*/.cargo/registry", "/Users/*/go/pkg/mod",
 		}
 	case goosWindows:
 		// Relative to the root of the drive an operand lies on. The

internal/sfdupes/exclude_test.go

@@ -24,22 +24,10 @@ func TestDefaultExcludes(t *testing.T) {
 	// on any other system. The Windows list exists in the code only: the
 	// binary does not build for Windows, so the README leaves it out.
 	cases := map[string][]string{
-		goosLinux: {
+		goosLinux: {"/proc", "/sys", "/dev", "/run", "/tmp", "/var/tmp"},
-			"/proc", "/sys", "/dev", "/run", "/tmp", "/var/tmp", "/var/cache",
-			"/root/.cache", "/root/.npm", "/root/.cargo/registry",
-			"/root/go/pkg/mod",
-			"/home/*/.cache", "/home/*/.npm", "/home/*/.cargo/registry",
-			"/home/*/go/pkg/mod",
-		},
 		goosDarwin: {
 			"/dev", "/private/tmp", "/private/var/tmp", "/private/var/vm",
 			"/System/Volumes/VM", "/System/Volumes/Data",
-			"/private/var/folders", "/Library/Caches",
-			"/private/var/root/Library/Caches", "/private/var/root/.cache",
-			"/private/var/root/.npm", "/private/var/root/.cargo/registry",
-			"/private/var/root/go/pkg/mod",
-			"/Users/*/Library/Caches", "/Users/*/.cache", "/Users/*/.npm",
-			"/Users/*/.cargo/registry", "/Users/*/go/pkg/mod",
 		},
 		goosWindows: {
 			"pagefile.sys", "swapfile.sys", "hiberfil.sys",
@@ -75,29 +63,6 @@ func TestIsDefaultExclude(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("isDefaultExclude(%q) = %v, want %v", path, got, want)
 		}
 	}
-
-	// The Linux list matches the cache directories in /root and in each
-	// home in /home, but nothing below them and no .cache directory
-	// elsewhere.
-	linux := map[string]bool{
-		"/home/u/.cache":           true,
-		"/home/u/go/pkg/mod":       true,
-		"/root/.cache":             true,
-		"/var/cache":               true,
-		"/home/u/.cache/pip":       false,
-		"/home/u/src/.cache":       false,
-		"/srv/home/u/.cache":       false,
-		"/home/u/.cargo/bin":       false,
-		"/home/u/go/pkg/mod/cache": false,
-	}
-
-	for path, want := range linux {
-		got := isDefaultExclude(path, defaultExcludes(goosLinux))
-		if got != want {
-			t.Errorf("isDefaultExclude(%q, Linux list) = %v, want %v", path,
-				got, want)
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 func TestReadMountInfo(t *testing.T) {
@@ -325,7 +290,7 @@ func TestRunScanTempDirOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
 
 	dir := realTempDir(t)
-	if !insideDefaultExclude(dir, defaultExcludes(runtime.GOOS)) {
+	if !underAnyRoot(dir, defaultExcludes(runtime.GOOS)) {
 		t.Skip(dir + " is not inside a default exclude")
 	}
 
@@ -746,20 +711,6 @@ func shmTempDir(t *testing.T) (string, string, walkRules) {
 	return dir, fsType, walkRules{nonPersistent: nonPersistent}
 }
 
-// insideDefaultExclude reports whether path, which is absolute and
-// clean, or a directory above it is one of excludes.
-func insideDefaultExclude(path string, excludes []string) bool {
-	for dir := path; ; dir = filepath.Dir(dir) {
-		if isDefaultExclude(dir, excludes) {
-			return true
-		}
-
-		if dir == "/" {
-			return false
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 // assertRecorded checks that the database at dbPath holds a record for
 // path when want is set, and none when it is not.
 func assertRecorded(t *testing.T, dbPath, path string, want bool) {