linux-stable/Documentation
Rik van Riel 34e431b0ae /proc/meminfo: provide estimated available memory
Many load balancing and workload placing programs check /proc/meminfo to
estimate how much free memory is available.  They generally do this by
adding up "free" and "cached", which was fine ten years ago, but is
pretty much guaranteed to be wrong today.

It is wrong because Cached includes memory that is not freeable as page
cache, for example shared memory segments, tmpfs, and ramfs, and it does
not include reclaimable slab memory, which can take up a large fraction
of system memory on mostly idle systems with lots of files.

Currently, the amount of memory that is available for a new workload,
without pushing the system into swap, can be estimated from MemFree,
Active(file), Inactive(file), and SReclaimable, as well as the "low"
watermarks from /proc/zoneinfo.

However, this may change in the future, and user space really should not
be expected to know kernel internals to come up with an estimate for the
amount of free memory.

It is more convenient to provide such an estimate in /proc/meminfo.  If
things change in the future, we only have to change it in one place.

Signed-off-by: Rik van Riel <riel@redhat.com>
Reported-by: Erik Mouw <erik.mouw_2@nxp.com>
Acked-by: Johannes Weiner <hannes@cmpxchg.org>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
2014-01-21 16:19:43 -08:00
..
ABI USB patches for 3.14-rc1 2014-01-20 16:13:02 -08:00
accounting
acpi GPIO tree bulk changes for v3.14 2014-01-21 10:09:12 -08:00
aoe aoe: remove do-nothing NAME="%k" term from example udev rules 2013-09-11 15:59:28 -07:00
arm gpio: samsung: Update documentation 2014-01-07 19:00:59 +01:00
arm64 arm64: Use 42-bit address space with 64K pages 2013-11-05 17:23:52 +00:00
auxdisplay
backlight backlight: lp855x_bl: support new LP8555 device 2013-11-13 12:09:14 +09:00
blackfin
block null_blk: set use_per_node_hctx param to false 2013-12-21 09:30:33 -07:00
blockdev floppy: Correct documentation of driver options when used as a module. 2013-11-08 09:10:31 -07:00
bus-devices
cdrom
cgroups memcg: support hierarchical memory.numa_stats 2013-11-13 12:09:06 +09:00
connector connector - documentation: simplify netlink message length assignment 2013-10-02 16:03:51 -04:00
console
cpu-freq cpufreq: Implement light weight ->target_index() routine 2013-10-25 22:42:24 +02:00
cpuidle cpuidle: remove cpuidle_unregister_governor() 2013-10-30 01:21:24 +01:00
cris
crypto
development-process
device-mapper dm cache: update Documentation for invalidate_cblocks's range syntax 2013-12-10 16:35:15 -05:00
devicetree Highlights: 2014-01-21 11:36:20 -08:00
DocBook Merge branch 'v4l_for_linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mchehab/linux-media 2013-12-12 11:06:13 -08:00
driver-model Staging driver tree patches for 3.14-rc1 2014-01-20 15:51:35 -08:00
dvb
early-userspace
EDID
extcon extcon: fix switch class porting guide (Documentation) 2014-01-07 11:54:28 +09:00
fault-injection
fb
filesystems /proc/meminfo: provide estimated available memory 2014-01-21 16:19:43 -08:00
firmware_class
fmc doc: Fix typo "is is" in Documentations 2013-08-27 10:50:52 +02:00
frv
gpio gpiolib: return -ENOENT if no GPIO mapping exists 2013-12-12 19:33:59 +01:00
hid
hwmon Merge branch 'hwmon-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jdelvare/staging 2013-11-15 16:35:10 -08:00
i2c Documentation: i2c: Remove obsolete example 2014-01-09 23:02:46 +01:00
i2o
ia64
ide
infiniband
input Input: clarify gamepad API ABS values 2013-10-15 23:42:07 -07:00
ioctl ALSA: add DICE driver 2013-10-17 21:18:32 +02:00
isdn
ja_JP Documentation: ja_JP: Update broken link to tpp 2013-12-10 23:09:08 -08:00
kbuild Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.txt: 'make listnewconfig' replaces: yes "" | make oldconfig 2013-10-08 23:51:50 +02:00
kdump
kmsg/s390 s390/zcrypt: add support for EP11 coprocessor cards 2013-12-18 17:37:15 +01:00
ko_KR Documentation: HOWTO: Updates on subsystem trees, patchwork, -next (vs. -mm) in ko_KR 2014-01-08 15:32:51 -08:00
laptops thinkpad-acpi: Add mute and mic-mute LED functionality 2013-10-17 14:38:44 +02:00
leds Documentation: leds-lp5521,lp5523: update device attribute information 2013-08-26 17:22:13 -07:00
m68k
make
memory-devices
metag
mic misc: mic: Fix endianness issues. 2013-11-27 11:03:38 -08:00
mips
misc-devices Documentation/misc-devices/mei/mei-amt-version.c: remove unneeded call of mei_deinit() 2014-01-08 15:20:20 -08:00
mmc
mn10300
mtd doc: Fix typo "is is" in Documentations 2013-08-27 10:50:52 +02:00
namespaces
netlabel
networking ipv4: improve documentation of ip_no_pmtu_disc 2013-12-17 15:20:15 -05:00
nfc
parisc
PCI PCI: Update pci_find_slot() description in pci.txt 2013-09-25 15:43:33 -06:00
pcmcia
power More ACPI and power management updates for 3.13-rc1 2013-11-20 13:25:04 -08:00
powerpc powerpc: Update the 00-Index in Documentation/powerpc 2013-08-27 14:44:27 +10:00
pps USB: serial: invoke dcd_change ldisc's handler. 2013-09-26 09:45:40 -07:00
prctl
pti
ptp ptp: add the PTP_SYS_OFFSET ioctl to the testptp program 2013-09-23 16:46:17 -04:00
rapidio
RCU Merge branches 'doc.2013.12.03a', 'fixes.2013.12.12a', 'rcutorture.2013.12.03a' and 'sparse.2013.12.12a' into HEAD 2013-12-12 12:35:38 -08:00
s390 s390/s390dbf: add debug_level_enabled() function 2013-10-24 17:16:53 +02:00
scheduler H8/300 has been dead for several years, the kernel for it has 2013-11-12 14:13:14 +09:00
scsi SCSI misc on 20130915 2013-09-15 17:41:30 -04:00
security ima: update IMA-templates.txt documentation 2014-01-03 07:42:59 -05:00
serial serial: core: delete .set_wake() callback 2013-10-16 13:16:19 -07:00
sh
sound ASoC: docs: Update the Overview document 2014-01-07 17:56:32 +00:00
spi
sysctl sched/numa: Drop sysctl_numa_balancing_settle_count sysctl 2013-12-17 15:24:38 +01:00
target target: Remove TF_CIT_TMPL macro 2013-10-16 13:35:02 -07:00
thermal thermal: thermal_core: allow binding with limits on bind_params 2013-09-03 09:10:24 -04:00
timers doc: add missing files to timers/00-INDEX 2013-10-27 21:55:50 +00:00
tpm
trace Documentation/trace/tracepoints.txt: add links to TRACE_EVENT documentation 2013-11-13 12:09:32 +09:00
usb doc: usb: Fix typo in Documentation/usb/gadget_configs.txt 2013-10-31 13:31:39 +01:00
vDSO
video4linux
virtual Merge branch 'kvm-ppc-queue' of git://github.com/agraf/linux-2.6 into queue 2013-11-04 10:20:57 +02:00
vm x86, mm: do not leak page->ptl for pmd page tables 2013-11-21 16:42:28 -08:00
w1
watchdog
wimax
x86 x86: Add xloadflags bit for EFI runtime support on kexec 2013-12-29 13:09:06 +00:00
xtensa
zh_CN Documentation: zh_CN: Update broken link to tpp 2013-12-10 23:09:08 -08:00
.gitignore
00-INDEX doc: fix a typo in Documentation/00-INDEX 2013-08-27 10:53:07 +02:00
applying-patches.txt
assoc_array.txt KEYS: Fix multiple key add into associative array 2013-12-02 11:24:18 +00:00
atomic_ops.txt
bad_memory.txt
basic_profiling.txt
bcache.txt
binfmt_misc.txt
braille-console.txt
bt8xxgpio.txt
btmrvl.txt
BUG-HUNTING
bus-virt-phys-mapping.txt
cachetlb.txt
Changes remove obsolete references to powertweak 2013-11-27 20:34:32 -08:00
circular-buffers.txt documentation: Update circular buffer for load-acquire/store-release 2013-12-03 10:08:57 -08:00
clk.txt
coccinelle.txt
CodingStyle
cpu-hotplug.txt MAINTAINERS: update Zwane Mwaikambo's e-mail address 2013-11-13 12:09:14 +09:00
cpu-load.txt
cputopology.txt doc: Documentation/cputopology.txt fix typo 2013-09-04 12:59:47 +02:00
crc32.txt
dcdbas.txt
debugging-modules.txt
debugging-via-ohci1394.txt
dell_rbu.txt
devices.txt cuse: add fix minor number to /dev/cuse 2013-10-01 16:44:54 +02:00
digsig.txt
DMA-API-HOWTO.txt DMA-API: provide a helper to set both DMA and coherent DMA masks 2013-09-17 15:32:37 +01:00
DMA-API.txt DMA-API: provide a helper to set both DMA and coherent DMA masks 2013-09-17 15:32:37 +01:00
DMA-attributes.txt doc: Documentation/DMA-attributes.txt fix typo 2013-10-14 15:50:53 +02:00
dma-buf-sharing.txt dma-buf: Expose buffer size to userspace (v2) 2013-09-10 11:36:45 +05:30
DMA-ISA-LPC.txt
dmaengine.txt
dmatest.txt dmatest: add a 'wait' parameter 2013-11-14 11:04:40 -08:00
dontdiff
dynamic-debug-howto.txt
edac.txt
efi-stub.txt EFI stub documentation updates 2013-09-25 12:34:32 +01:00
eisa.txt
email-clients.txt
flexible-arrays.txt
futex-requeue-pi.txt
gcov.txt gcov: compile specific gcov implementation based on gcc version 2013-11-13 12:09:34 +09:00
highuid.txt
HOWTO Documentation: HOWTO: Update broken links to tpp 2013-12-10 23:09:08 -08:00
hw_random.txt
hwspinlock.txt doc: documentation/hwspinlock.txt fix typo 2013-08-27 10:46:02 +02:00
init.txt
initrd.txt
Intel-IOMMU.txt
intel_txt.txt
io-mapping.txt
io_ordering.txt
iostats.txt
IPMI.txt
IRQ-affinity.txt
IRQ-domain.txt
IRQ.txt
irqflags-tracing.txt
isapnp.txt
java.txt
kernel-doc-nano-HOWTO.txt
kernel-docs.txt
kernel-parameters.txt Merge branch 'x86-kaslr-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip 2014-01-20 14:45:50 -08:00
kernel-per-CPU-kthreads.txt kthread: Add pointer to vmstat-avoidance patch 2013-09-25 06:49:46 -07:00
kmemcheck.txt Documentation/kmemcheck: update kmemcheck documentation 2013-08-27 10:47:05 +02:00
kmemleak.txt
kobject.txt kobject: remove kset from sysfs immediately in kset_unregister() 2013-12-07 21:20:11 -08:00
kprobes.txt
kref.txt
ldm.txt
local_ops.txt
lockdep-design.txt
lockstat.txt lockstat: Report avg wait and hold times 2013-10-09 08:19:08 +02:00
lockup-watchdogs.txt
logo.gif
logo.txt
magic-number.txt
Makefile
ManagementStyle
md.txt
media-framework.txt
memory-barriers.txt locking/doc: Rename LOCK/UNLOCK to ACQUIRE/RELEASE 2014-01-12 10:37:13 +01:00
memory-hotplug.txt Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jikos/trivial 2013-09-06 09:36:28 -07:00
module-signing.txt Add Documentation/module-signing.txt file 2013-12-13 15:59:11 +00:00
mono.txt
mutex-design.txt locking/doc: Update references to kernel/mutex.c 2013-11-11 12:41:33 +01:00
nommu-mmap.txt
numastat.txt
oops-tracing.txt
padata.txt
parport-lowlevel.txt
parport.txt
percpu-rw-semaphore.txt
phy.txt drivers: phy: add generic PHY framework 2013-09-27 17:35:41 -07:00
pi-futex.txt
pinctrl.txt pinctrl: Fix some typos and grammar issues in the documentation 2014-01-15 13:59:50 +01:00
pnp.txt
preempt-locking.txt
printk-formats.txt Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jikos/trivial 2013-09-06 09:36:28 -07:00
pwm.txt Documentation/pwm: Fix trivial typos 2013-10-24 10:51:33 +02:00
ramoops.txt
rbtree.txt
remoteproc.txt
rfkill.txt
robust-futex-ABI.txt Documentation/robust-futex-API: Count properly to 4 2013-11-30 14:08:28 +01:00
robust-futexes.txt
rpmsg.txt
rt-mutex-design.txt
rt-mutex.txt
rtc.txt
SAK.txt
SecurityBugs
serial-console.txt
sgi-ioc4.txt
sgi-visws.txt
SM501.txt
smsc_ece1099.txt
sparse.txt
spinlocks.txt
stable_api_nonsense.txt
stable_kernel_rules.txt
static-keys.txt
SubmitChecklist
SubmittingDrivers
SubmittingPatches
svga.txt
sysfs-rules.txt
sysrq.txt sysrq: Allow magic SysRq key functions to be disabled through Kconfig 2013-10-16 13:01:44 -07:00
this_cpu_ops.txt
unaligned-memory-access.txt
unicode.txt
unshare.txt
vfio.txt vfio: fix documentation 2013-09-05 16:36:21 -06:00
VGA-softcursor.txt
vgaarbiter.txt
video-output.txt
vme_api.txt VME: Rename vme_slot_get to avoid confusion with reference counting 2013-12-03 11:15:58 -08:00
volatile-considered-harmful.txt
workqueue.txt
ww-mutex-design.txt
xz.txt
zorro.txt zorro/UAPI: Disintegrate include/linux/zorro*.h 2013-11-26 11:09:08 +01:00