Re: [PATCH v0] mm/page_alloc: Cleanup for __del_page_from_free_list()

From: Vlastimil Babka

Date: Tue Sep 30 2025 - 09:55:29 EST


On 9/25/25 10:50, zhongjinji wrote:
> It is unnecessary to set page->private in __del_page_from_free_list().
>
> If the page is about to be allocated, page->private will be cleared by
> post_alloc_hook() before the page is handed out. If the page is expanded
> or merged, page->private will be reset by set_buddy_order, and no one
> will retrieve the page's buddy_order without the PageBuddy flag being set.
> If the page is isolated, it will also reset page->private when it
> succeeds.

Seems correct.

> Since __del_page_from_free_list() is a hot path in the kernel, it would be
> better to remove the unnecessary set_page_private().
>
> Signed-off-by: zhongjinji <zhongjinji@xxxxxxxxx>

Reviewed-by: Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@xxxxxxx>

> ---
> mm/page_alloc.c | 1 -
> 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
> index d1d037f97c5f..1999eb7e7c14 100644
> --- a/mm/page_alloc.c
> +++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
> @@ -868,7 +868,6 @@ static inline void __del_page_from_free_list(struct page *page, struct zone *zon
>
> list_del(&page->buddy_list);
> __ClearPageBuddy(page);
> - set_page_private(page, 0);
> zone->free_area[order].nr_free--;
>
> if (order >= pageblock_order && !is_migrate_isolate(migratetype))