How many files can I put in a directory?

Question

Does it matter how many files I keep in a single directory? If so, how many files in a directory is too many, and what are the impacts of having too many files? (This is on

Answer 1

Not an answer, but just some suggestions.

Select a more suitable FS (file system). Since from a historic point of view, all your issues were wise enough, to be once central to FSs evolving over decades. I mean more modern FS better support your issues. First make a comparison decision table based on your ultimate purpose from FS list.

I think its time to shift your paradigms. So I personally suggest using a distributed system aware FS, which means no limits at all regarding size, number of files and etc. Otherwise you will sooner or later challenged by new unanticipated problems.

I'm not sure to work, but if you don't mention some experimentation, give AUFS over your current file system a try. I guess it has facilities to mimic multiple folders as a single virtual folder.

To overcome hardware limits you can use RAID-0.