Zack's Kernel News
Zack's Kernel News
© Zack Brown
Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.
Tracking Inode Versioning
Just as the double slit experiment behaves one way when it's being watched, and another when it thinks it can get away with something, Jeff Layton suggested that Linux could get away with incrementing the inode version number only when some other part of the kernel was actually paying attention.
The inode version number (i_version in the inode structure) is generally incremented whenever the inode's metadata changes. Or, as Jeff explained, filesystems increment the version number whenever something happens that they care about. In the case of Btrfs, ext4, and XFS, they increment the version for file data changes as well. The problem with too much version change is that the inode has to be written back to disk each time, which can be slow on write-heavy operations.
Jeff believed he'd discovered that the only time the version number really mattered was when some other bit of code queried the inode. If there was no observer, there would be no need to keep the inode version precisely up to date. And, when an observer came along, that would be a good time for the inode to show it had been paying attention, by updating its version number.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.