Debate on Linux Virtual Memory Handling

xturnip sent us a good piece running over at Byte about Linux's VM. Somewhat more technical then the stuff we usually see online, this one talks about different VM systems, and the egos in the kernel. Its worth a read.

Comments

It should all be configurable.

[Anton Anatopopov]

The VM policy of the OS should be tweakable in the same way that you can dynamically load and unload modules. I see nothing controversial about this. Some people prefer random page ejection to lease recently used. Others think that demand paging can be improved upon.

I say, include it all in the kernel and make it configurable by the user. After all, most Linux users are pretty tech-savvy, they are unlikely to wreck their machines (the way windoze lusers do every time they tweak their registry).

What do others think ?

Re:It should all be configurable.

[micromoog]

After all, most Linux users are pretty tech-savvy, they are unlikely to wreck their machines (the way windoze lusers do every time they tweak their registry).

More generalized Linux cock-swinging, as has become the trademark of Slashdot . . . this is the attitude that dooms Linux on the desktop.

To fork, or not to fork

[imrdkl]

From the article:

Nobody has yet dared to speak of a Linux source fork, but this is dangerously close to one.

Is this truly dangerous? If so, why? Why not let the 2 VM's compete and the users will decide?

Better to split than stagnate.

Re:To fork, or not to fork

[mwalker]

Better to split than stagnate.


True, look at the success of the "Gnome vs. KDE" split.

About time someone figured out this is a CF

[CDWert]

Who says an article cant be biased ?

Its an editorial for crying out loud

I have been wondering when the "masses" would figure out this is a MAJOR issue with the current linux kernel. I use the -ac patches because of various issues not in the main branch, fs support etc. on my workstations , I have to say the VM in the main 2.4.12-13 seems much more predictable and solid, I think im just going to patch against the main for ext3 until this gets hammered out. Alan seems like a very gifted indivdual as does Linus, but it seems as if Alan cant sometimes say hey I was wrong this is a better way to do it, or lets for the goals of the effort, decide and move on improving it as best we can. The author was very correct in his statment of you can fix something that sucks so it dosent suck as much but in the end it still sucks. I still dont get what alans problem is , is it because he didnt write it ? Or is it because its new and less tested ?

Excellent article in all.

Re:OSS Power

[skyhawker]

Sure they could - provided all of the users of XP were the sort of people who don't mind downloading and recompiling a new kernel every two weeks.

Are you saying that the users of Microsoft Windows XP can download and recompile the OS? I'm not familiar with this new licensing arrangement that Microsoft must now provide. I will say this much for Microsoft. They do respond quickly to critical bugs in their software -- often within months, sometimes within weeks.

Re:Arguing over the best VM

[ThatComputerGuy]

Besides, everyone knows that vi kicks emacs's ass.