No. 16 of 22 ·Disk Defragmentation Software

Shake

Linux

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Freedom report

One barScore 5.3

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Shake is ranked #16 of 22 in disk defragmentation software on Freedom251. It runs on Linux.

Compared on disk defragmentation software

Free plan: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Shake is a userspace defragmenter for GNU/Linux that can run while the system is in use.
How it works: It rewrites fragmented files and uses heuristics intended to improve efficiency compared with other tools.
File ordering: Piping a sorted list of MP3 files into Shake can defragment them and place files close together on disk in lexical order.
Installation: The maker lists Ubuntu/Debian, Gentoo, and Arch Linux installation options and instructions for building from source with CMake and libattr development files.
Extended attributes: The maker recommends mounting the partition with user_xattr; Shake can run without it but is less efficient because it uses extended attributes to store information for incremental use.
Usage: The maker says to run Shake as root on a directory and recommends running it on the whole partition when it is not in use for better results.
Preview mode: Shake can report fragmentation without changing files using the --pretend and --verbose options.
File size behavior: By default, files larger than 95 MB are not processed, and the maker documents options to change the size thresholds and tolerances.
Age behavior: By default, Shake processes files whose last shake time or ctime is older than eight times 31 days and skips files newer than two months; these values can be changed with options.
Maker: The project page names Brice Arnould as the author.
Maker location: The maker's about page says he lives in Evilard, a village close to Berne, Switzerland.
Install options: The page lists Ubuntu/Debian, Gentoo, and Arch Linux installation options and instructions for building from source.
Filesystem requirement: The maker recommends mounting the partition with user_xattr; Shake can run without it but is less efficient for incremental use.
Root access: The usage instructions say to run Shake as root.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Disk Defragmentation Software in 2026#16 of 22

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Sources

vleu.net/projects/shake/· checked 4 Oct 2026
vleu.net· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/unbrice/shake· checked 5 Oct 2026