Messages in this thread |  | | Subject | Re: the new VM | Date | Mon, 25 Sep 2000 15:47:03 +0100 (BST) | From | Alan Cox <> |
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> > Because as you said the machine can lockup when you run out of memory. > > well, i think all kernel-space allocations have to be limited carefully, > denying succeeding allocations is not a solution against over-allocation, > especially in a multi-user environment.
GFP_KERNEL has to be able to fail for 2.4. Otherwise you can get everything jammed in kernel space waiting on GFP_KERNEL and if the swapper cannot make space you die.
The alternative approach where it cannot fail has to be at higher levels so you can release other resources that might need freeing for deadlock avoidance before you retry
Alan
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