Re: -mm merge plans for 2.6.21

[James <iphitus@gmail.com>]

On 2/9/07, Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org> wrote:
> On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:54:29 +0200 Lenar Lõhmus <lenar@vision.ee> wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > Andrew Morton wrote:
> > > sched-add-above-background-load-function.patch
> > > mm-implement-swap-prefetching.patch
> > > mm-implement-swap-prefetching-vs-zvc-stuff.patch
> > > mm-implement-swap-prefetching-vs-zvc-stuff-2.patch
> > > mm-implement-swap-prefetching-use-ctl_unnumbered.patch
> > > swap_prefetch-vs-zoned-counters.patch
> > > add-include-linux-freezerh-and-move-definitions-from-prefetch.patch
> > > zvc-support-nr_slab_reclaimable--nr_slab_unreclaimable-swap_prefetch.patch
> > > reduce-max_nr_zones-swap_prefetch-remove-incorrect-use-of-zone_highmem.patch
> > > sched-cleanup-remove-task_t-convert-to-struct-task_struct-prefetch.patch
> > > numa-add-zone_to_nid-function-swap_prefetch.patch
> > > remove-uses-of-kmem_cache_t-from-mm-and-include-linux-slabh-prefetch.patch
> > >
> > >  Hold.
> > Why hold?
> >
> > It's been shown this patchset really helps desktop users.
>
> Has it?  I don't think I've ever observed any benefits from it and I don't
> think anyone has ever got down and worked out what its drawbacks might be,
> and seen if they can be demonstrated in practice.

Plenty of people replied with positive reviews when it was posted
earlier. I'd expect that you'd have a fair bit of ram, so you're less
likely to observe any benefit, as you wouldnt be digging into swap as
often as those on lesser systems.

http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/3/23/25

> I also have vague memories of some serious-sounding review comments about
> the code from Nick.

http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/3/23/55

Could that be it? Maybe repoll Con on those.

> > Why keep it in -mm for so long?
>
> I'm waiting to be shown that its benefits exceed its costs.  Sometimes
> that's hard.

Con's patchset is used pretty widely now, with many distro's (Arch,
Mandriva, PCLinuxOS among others) providing prebuilt kernels and
nobody has reported any drawbacks. I don't think anyone in -mm has
reported any either.

James
--
iphitus // Arch Developer // kernel26beyond // iphitus.loudas.com
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