linux-kernel - Re: Help Understanding Linux memory management

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Message-Id: <200704101622.26285.laurent.pinchart@skynet.be>
Date:	Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:22:26 +0200
From:	Laurent Pinchart <laurent.pinchart@...net.be>
To:	"Mouawad, Tony" <Tony.Mouawad@...istiedigital.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Help Understanding Linux memory management

Hi,

> I've been a MS Windows based programmer for a very long time and was
> recently tossed in an environment where I am developing embedded apps on
> the m68k / Linux platform.  That makes me a Linux newbie.  I started
> asking a few questions on various IRC channels and was directed to this
> group.  So, I will start asking:
>
> These are questions derived from observations on the MCF 5475 CPU
> running Linux 2.6.10 built for the m68k platform.  Disk swapping is
> disabled.
>
> 1) When physical memory runs low, the memory manager will try to use
> memory currently allocated to the pagecache.  Is this true?
>
> 2) When vm.overcommit_memory = 2 (overcommit disabled), and memory runs
> low, it appears that the memory manager does not try to use memory
> currently allocated to pagecache.  Is this true?
>
> 3) Is it possible to disable the pagecache?

Have you read the "Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager" book by Mel 
Gorman ? It describes the virtual memory manager in details. I was impressed 
by the amount of technical information Mel Gorman gathered and explained 
clearly in a single book. Given the ever-changing nature of the Linux kernel, 
such detailed documentation about core subsystem is often hard to find.

You can get the book at 
http://www.phptr.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0131453483&rl=1#

Laurent Pinchart
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