[$] Freezing out the page reference count

Date:
Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:55:16 +0000

Description:
The page structure sits at the core of the kernel's memory-management subsystem
(for now), and a key part of that structure is its reference count, stored
in refcount . The page reference count tells the kernel how many
users a given page has and when it can be freed. That count is not needed
for every page in the system, though. Matthew Wilcox has recently
resurrected an old
patch set that expands the concept of a "frozen" page one that lacks a meaningful reference count to the immediate benefit of the slab allocator
but in the service of a longer-term goal as well.

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Link to news story:
https://lwn.net/Articles/1000654/


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