Re: [GIT PULL] mm: frontswap (for 3.2 window)

Andrew Morton
2011-11-01T21:43:13Z

On Tue, 1 Nov 2011 08:25:38 -0700 (PDT)
Dan Magenheimer <dan.magenheimer@oracle.com> wrote:

> OK, I will then coordinate with sfr to remove it from the linux-next
> tree when (if?) akpm puts the patchset into the -mm tree.

No, that's not necessary. The current process (you maintain git tree,
it gets included in -next, later gets pulled by Linus) is good. The
only reason I see for putting such code through -mm would be if there
were significant interactions with other core MM work.

It doesn't matter which route is taken, as long as the code is
appropriately reviewed and tested.

> But
> since very few linux-mm experts had responded to previous postings
> of the frontswap patchset, I am glad to have a much wider audience
> to discuss it now because of the lkml git-pull request.

At kernel summit there was discussion and overall agreement that we've
been paying insufficient attention to the big-picture "should we
include this feature at all" issues. We resolved to look more
intensely and critically at new features with a view to deciding
whether their usefulness justified their maintenance burden. It seems
that you're our crash-test dummy ;) (Now I'm wondering how to get
"cgroups: add a task counter subsystem" put through the same wringer).

I will confess to and apologise for dropping the ball on cleancache and
frontswap. I was never really able to convince myself that it met the
(very vague) cost/benefit test, but nor was I able to present
convincing arguments that it failed that test. So I very badly went
into hiding, to wait and see what happened. What we needed all those
months ago was to have the discussion we're having now.

This is a difficult discussion and a difficult decision. But it is
important that we get it right. Thanks for you patience.