Subj : [$] Freezing out the page reference count To : All From : LWN.net Date : Fri Dec 06 2024 16:00:05 [$] 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. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://lwn.net/Articles/1000654/ --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet UK HUB @ hub.uk.erb.pw (1337:1/100) .