lists.openwall.net   lists  /  announce  owl-users  owl-dev  john-users  john-dev  passwdqc-users  yescrypt  popa3d-users  /  oss-security  kernel-hardening  musl  sabotage  tlsify  passwords  /  crypt-dev  xvendor  /  Bugtraq  Full-Disclosure  linux-kernel  linux-netdev  linux-ext4  linux-hardening  linux-cve-announce  PHC 
Open Source and information security mailing list archives
 
Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.
[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]
Message-ID: <4BE417CB.7000806@cfl.rr.com>
Date:	Fri, 7 May 2010 09:38:19 -0400
From:	Phillip Susi <psusi@....rr.com>
To:	linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
	Linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: unified page and buffer cache? (was: readahead on directories)

I thought that the buffer and page caches were unified long ago, but
last night I modified ureadahead to call readahead() directly on the
block device for all physical extents involved rather than open() each
file and readahead() on that.  It read all of the related blocks into
the buffer cache nice and fast, which was then ignored and the data was
read again when accessed normally during boot.

So it seems that the buffer cache and page cache are still separate, and
normal files only use the page cache, and directories only use the
buffer cache, which is why readahead() fails when called on a directory.

Can anyone confirm that my disappointed understanding is correct?  I
started experimenting with a workaround where I readahead directories
via the block device, and normal files the normal way.  This seems to do
the trick, but is sub optimal since you have to read in two passes,
picking up the directories on the first pass, then going back for the files.
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/

Powered by blists - more mailing lists

Powered by Openwall GNU/*/Linux Powered by OpenVZ