Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Integrating systemd-oomd For Improving Low Memory Handling

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is going to be making use of systemd-oomd for aiming to improve the experience when out of memory or under heavy memory pressure on the Linux distribution.

Ubuntu is now the latest Linux distribution shipping with systemd-oomd for improving Linux's behavior when having low RAM availability. Ubuntu is building off of Debian's systemd-oomd integration. The systemd-oomd is triggered prior to the Linux kernel's OOM killer and the Ubuntu package is relying on the default configuration. By default that configurable limit is a 20 second memory pressure duration and a 50% memory pressure limit for user sessions.

Those riding the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS daily builds can now simply apt install systemd-oomd. For the April release of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS the plan is to have systemd-oomd enabled by default for the Ubuntu Desktop but that change isn't in place today. At least for Ubuntu with GNOME, the desktop is already able to launch applications in separate cgroups (v2) for tracking by systemd-oomd. Other Ubuntu flavors may also choose to have systemd-oomd by default.

Systemd-oomd is based on Facebook's earlier OOMD code and already in use by the likes of Fedora. Systemd 247 back in 2020 introduced the then-experimental systemd-oomd but it has continued maturing since then to be in fairly robust shape.

More details on systemd-oomd for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS via the Ubuntu devel mailing list.