For #2, you could always make a dependency that removes your intermediates for you after your final use. You can't be mad at make because it deletes intermediat

For #2, you could always make a dependency that removes your intermediates for you after your final use. You can't be mad at make because it deletes intermediates and because it doesn't delete intermediates. Make isn't psychic. For #3, I didn't mean to come across as pedantic. I haven't encountered what you're describing, but I have personally been surprised by how Linux does process accounting, so I apologize; I just figured you were being bitten by the same thing. I like make a lot, but I don't use it for everything, because sometimes there simply are better tools for the task, and I hope you were able to figure out a solution.