[PATCH v3 4/4] mm: clarify the folio_free_swap() for do_swap_page()

From: Barry Song (Xiaomi)

Date: Wed Jul 01 2026 - 20:00:40 EST


Since commit 4b34f1d82c654 ("mm, swap: free the swap cache after
folio is mapped"), we have relied on do_wp_page() to handle the
non-exclusive case, where the folio may either be reused or require
CoW.

As a result, using the refcount in do_swap_page() to decide when to
free the swap cache is no longer necessary, since do_wp_page() can
handle this more cleanly and consistently.

We can now simply use FAULT_FLAG_WRITE together with exclusivity to
decide when to free the swap cache in do_swap_page().

Suggested-by: David Hildenbrand (Arm) <david@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Barry Song (Xiaomi) <baohua@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
mm/memory.c | 20 ++++++++------------
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/memory.c b/mm/memory.c
index 4665405ace5a..a29cd38ad547 100644
--- a/mm/memory.c
+++ b/mm/memory.c
@@ -4516,7 +4516,7 @@ static vm_fault_t remove_device_exclusive_entry(struct vm_fault *vmf)
static inline bool should_try_to_free_swap(struct swap_info_struct *si,
struct folio *folio,
struct vm_area_struct *vma,
- unsigned int extra_refs,
+ bool exclusive,
unsigned int fault_flags)
{
if (!folio_test_swapcache(folio))
@@ -4532,14 +4532,12 @@ static inline bool should_try_to_free_swap(struct swap_info_struct *si,
if (mem_cgroup_swap_full(folio) || (vma->vm_flags & VM_LOCKED) ||
folio_test_mlocked(folio))
return true;
+
/*
- * If we want to map a page that's in the swapcache writable, we
- * have to detect via the refcount if we're really the exclusive
- * user. Try freeing the swapcache to get rid of the swapcache
- * reference only in case it's likely that we'll be the exclusive user.
+ * Free the swapcache only if we are the exclusive user and
+ * this is a write fault.
*/
- return (fault_flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE) && !folio_test_ksm(folio) &&
- folio_ref_count(folio) == (extra_refs + folio_nr_pages(folio));
+ return (fault_flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE) && exclusive;
}

static vm_fault_t pte_marker_clear(struct vm_fault *vmf)
@@ -5043,10 +5041,8 @@ vm_fault_t do_swap_page(struct vm_fault *vmf)
if ((vma->vm_flags & VM_WRITE) && !userfaultfd_pte_wp(vma, pte) &&
!pte_needs_soft_dirty_wp(vma, pte)) {
pte = pte_mkwrite(pte, vma);
- if (vmf->flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE) {
+ if (vmf->flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE)
pte = pte_mkdirty(pte);
- vmf->flags &= ~FAULT_FLAG_WRITE;
- }
}
rmap_flags |= RMAP_EXCLUSIVE;
}
@@ -5086,7 +5082,7 @@ vm_fault_t do_swap_page(struct vm_fault *vmf)
* Do it after mapping, so raced page faults will likely see the folio
* in swap cache and wait on the folio lock.
*/
- if (should_try_to_free_swap(si, folio, vma, nr_pages, vmf->flags))
+ if (should_try_to_free_swap(si, folio, vma, exclusive, vmf->flags))
folio_free_swap(folio);

folio_unlock(folio);
@@ -5103,7 +5099,7 @@ vm_fault_t do_swap_page(struct vm_fault *vmf)
folio_put(swapcache);
}

- if (vmf->flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE) {
+ if ((vmf->flags & FAULT_FLAG_WRITE) && !pte_write(pte)) {
ret |= do_wp_page(vmf);
if (ret & VM_FAULT_ERROR)
ret &= VM_FAULT_ERROR;
--
2.39.3 (Apple Git-146)