For the "Too many files for a common directory" section, the xargs utility exists to address this problem. Modern (GNU) versions of xargs will also give you th

For the "Too many files for a common directory" section, the xargs utility exists to address this problem. Modern (GNU) versions of xargs will also give you the ability to run operations in parallel: https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/parallel-shells-xargs-utilize-all-your-cpu-cores-unix-and-windows https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/parallel-shells-xargs-u... For the file removal problem, using a file system that supports (read-only) snapshots removes much of the pain. This can be done with zfs, btrfs, and the LVM subsystem can also do it with less advanced filesystems. I have never used the LVM snapshot features. https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8/html/configuring_and_managing_logical_volumes/snapshot-of-logical-volumes_configuring-and-managing-logical-volumes#snapshot-of-logical-volumes_configuring-and-managing-logical-volumes https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_...