MGLRU Looks Like One Of The Best Linux Kernel Innovations Of The Year

[phoronix]

Phoronix: MGLRU Looks Like One Of The Best Linux Kernel Innovations Of The Year

Hopefully being mainlined next cycle with Linux 6.1 is the Multi-Gen LRU, or better known as MGLRU, as a superior alternative to the kernel's existing page reclamation code. Assuming it lands for Linux 6.1 as the last complete kernel cycle of 2022, this would make it one of the most exciting innovations to make it into the kernel this year...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/MGLRU-LPC-2022

[Linuxxx]

With this out of the way, one of Linux' biggest & most obvious shortcoming will finally come to an end!

Thanks Google for actually caring about Linux as an interactive OS, unlike most other contributors which are mainly focusing on server (throughput) performance...

[Not you of course, Valve!]

[ryao]

The claim of -98% working set refaults reminds me of ZFS ARC.

[ezst036]

With this out of the way, one of Linux' biggest & most obvious shortcoming will finally come to an end!

Could you elaborate?

[CommunityMember]

Thanks Google for actually caring about Linux as an interactive OS, unlike most other contributors which are mainly focusing on server (throughput) performance...

Google, of course, cares about interactive OS's because Linux is at the core of ChromeOS (where MGLRU has already been deployed), and Android 13, and ChromeOS and Android matters to Google (at least until everything moves to Fuchsia, if everything moves to Fuchsia).

[ATLief]

(at least until everything moves to Fuchsia, if everything moves to Fuchsia).

That’ll still take several years at least. Part of me thinks that announcement was just to keep Linus/x on their toes.

”Maybe you’ll accept our patches sooner rather than later. Otherwise…”

[Linuxxx]

Could you elaborate?

Traditionally, once Linux started to swap large amounts of RAM pages to disk, the desktop would become unbearably slow, to the point that force-rebooting the system was often the quicker solution rather than waiting for the desktop to become responsive again.

With MGLRU, such a scenario should become alot less likely... (Or so I heard, since I actually haven't tested this patchset on my desktop machines, yet.)

[Linuxxx]

Google, of course, cares about interactive OS's because Linux is at the core of ChromeOS (where MGLRU has already been deployed), and Android 13, and ChromeOS and Android matters to Google (at least until everything moves to Fuchsia, if everything moves to Fuchsia).

I know, since I was typing that very post from my (responsive & overall very smooth) cheap Chromebook...

PS:
I stopped worrying about Fuchsia ever since it became clear that Linux is actually capable of being turned into a hard real-time OS!
[Source: https://elisa.tech/]

Also, there is simply no way that Fuchsia with its microkernel design will be able to compete with Linux in the performance department, either.

[cynic]

That’ll still take several years at least. Part of me thinks that announcement was just to keep Linus/x on their toes.

”Maybe you’ll accept our patches sooner rather than later. Otherwise…”

Otherwise what?

[MadCatX]

Guys, just please merge this already! Linux behavior in near-OOM situations has been a catastrophe for years. This is not just a handled devices problem, I can run into the OOM catatonia on a laptop with 32 Gigs of RAM.