Facebook releases its own OOM implementation
Contract Killer
© Lead Image © efks, 123RF.com
When a Linux system runs out of memory, a special agent, the out-of-memory killer, rushes to its aid. Facebook has now introduced its own OOM killer. What makes it different from its kernel-based counterpart? And what is an OOM killer really?
If you have not placed an order for a large server for a long time, you will probably rub your eyes in amazement the next time you order a new device: Configurations with terabytes instead of gigabytes of RAM are easy to get, and you don't need to be a millionaire to buy them. Gone are the days when people were proud of every single gigabyte (Figure 1).
Figure 1: RAM is no longer a scarce resource, but no system is immune to an OOM situation.
Some buyers don't even worry about RAM anymore and just assume the system will have enough; however, this might be a little too optimistic, even on a modern system. Servers still sometimes come up short on RAM, and when they do, it can have dramatic consequences: If a component such as systemd needs RAM and cannot allocate it, the system will malfunction or stop working. To avoid a RAM shortage bringing computers to their knees, the Linux kernel has a watchdog on board: the out-of-memory killer, or OOM killer for short. In an emergency, OOM frees up memory by shooting down processes in a targeted way; the memory is then available for other, presumably more important purposes.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
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
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
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.