Re: [PATCH V3] KSM: allow dedup all tasks memory

From: Pavel Tatashin
Date: Tue Nov 13 2018 - 17:53:41 EST


> > > That must work, but we out of bit space in vm_flags [1].
> > > i.e. first 32 bits already defined, and other only accessible only on
> > > 64-bit machines.
> >
> > So, grow vm_flags_t to 64-bit, or enable this feature on 64-bit only.
>
> With all due respect to you, for that type of things we need
> mm maintainer opinion.

As far as I understood, you already got directions from the maintainers
to do similar to the way THP is implemented, and THP uses two flags:

VM_HUGEPAGE VM_NOHUGEPAGE, the same as I am thinking ksm should do if we
honor MADV_UNMERGEABLE.

When VM_NOHUGEPAGE is set khugepaged ignores those VMAs.

There may be a way to add VM_UNMERGEABLE without extending the size of
vm_flags, but that would be a good start point in looking how to add a
new flag.

Again, you could simply enable this feature on 64-bit only.

Pasha