[PATCH v3 1/3] mm/swap: move LRU insertion out of the swap cache allocator

From: Alexandre Ghiti

Date: Tue Aug 25 2026 - 13:28:45 EST


This is a preparatory patch.

__swap_cache_alloc_folio() adds the new folio to the LRU itself, which
leaves its callers no way to act on the folio before it becomes visible
to reclaim. Two users need exactly that:

- the next patch moves the refault evaluation out of the swap cache
folio allocation, and it has to happen before folio_add_lru(): that
consumes PG_active to file the folio on the inactive or the active
list, and under MGLRU it also reads PG_workingset to pick the
generation. Setting either flag afterwards does not move the folio;

- the upcoming zswap writeback dropbehind implementation needs the
buffer folio to stay off the LRU entirely, as the per-CPU LRU batch
would hold a reference on it and keep remove_mapping() from freeing
it once writeback completes.

Defer the LRU insertion to the callers of __swap_cache_alloc_folio():
each of them adds the folio right after the allocation, so there is no
functional change intended.

Suggested-by: Kairui Song <kasong@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Alexandre Ghiti <alex@xxxxxxxx>
---
mm/swap.h | 6 +++---
mm/swap_state.c | 20 ++++++++++++--------
mm/zswap.c | 5 +++--
3 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/swap.h b/mm/swap.h
index 90a551a88df6..8679cb61268e 100644
--- a/mm/swap.h
+++ b/mm/swap.h
@@ -312,9 +312,9 @@ bool swap_cache_has_folio(swp_entry_t entry);
struct folio *swap_cache_get_folio(swp_entry_t entry);
void *swap_cache_get_shadow(swp_entry_t entry);
void swap_cache_del_folio(struct folio *folio);
-struct folio *swap_cache_alloc_folio(swp_entry_t target_entry, gfp_t gfp_mask,
- unsigned long orders, struct vm_fault *vmf,
- struct mempolicy *mpol, pgoff_t ilx);
+struct folio *__swap_cache_alloc_folio(swp_entry_t target_entry, gfp_t gfp_mask,
+ unsigned long orders, struct vm_fault *vmf,
+ struct mempolicy *mpol, pgoff_t ilx);
/* Below helpers require the caller to lock and pass in the swap cluster. */
void __swap_cache_add_folio(struct swap_cluster_info *ci,
struct folio *folio, swp_entry_t entry);
diff --git a/mm/swap_state.c b/mm/swap_state.c
index b76eb3d876fd..bf8ff2d2dbf1 100644
--- a/mm/swap_state.c
+++ b/mm/swap_state.c
@@ -489,13 +489,11 @@ static struct folio *__swap_cache_alloc(struct swap_cluster_info *ci,
node_stat_mod_folio(folio, NR_FILE_PAGES, nr_pages);
lruvec_stat_mod_folio(folio, NR_SWAPCACHE, nr_pages);

- /* Caller will initiate read into locked new_folio */
- folio_add_lru(folio);
return folio;
}

/**
- * swap_cache_alloc_folio - Allocate folio for swapped out slot in swap cache.
+ * __swap_cache_alloc_folio - Allocate folio for swapped out slot in swap cache.
* @targ_entry: swap entry indicating the target slot
* @gfp: memory allocation flags
* @orders: allocation orders, must be non zero
@@ -507,13 +505,17 @@ static struct folio *__swap_cache_alloc(struct swap_cluster_info *ci,
* doing IO (e.g. swap in or zswap writeback). The swap slot indicated by
* @targ_entry must have a non-zero swap count (swapped out).
*
+ * The returned folio is locked and is NOT on the LRU. The caller must either
+ * add it to the LRU with folio_add_lru() so page reclaim can find it, or free
+ * it directly once done; a folio left off the LRU is unreclaimable and leaks.
+ *
* Context: Caller must protect the swap device with reference count or locks.
* Return: Returns the folio if allocation succeeded and folio is in the swap
* cache. Returns error code if failed due to race, OOM or invalid arguments.
*/
-struct folio *swap_cache_alloc_folio(swp_entry_t targ_entry, gfp_t gfp,
- unsigned long orders, struct vm_fault *vmf,
- struct mempolicy *mpol, pgoff_t ilx)
+struct folio *__swap_cache_alloc_folio(swp_entry_t targ_entry, gfp_t gfp,
+ unsigned long orders, struct vm_fault *vmf,
+ struct mempolicy *mpol, pgoff_t ilx)
{
int order, err;
struct folio *ret;
@@ -649,12 +651,13 @@ static struct folio *swap_cache_read_folio(struct swap_io_ctx *ctx,
folio = swap_cache_get_folio(entry);
if (folio)
return folio;
- folio = swap_cache_alloc_folio(entry, gfp, BIT(0), NULL, mpol, ilx);
+ folio = __swap_cache_alloc_folio(entry, gfp, BIT(0), NULL, mpol, ilx);
} while (PTR_ERR(folio) == -EEXIST);

if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(folio))
return NULL;

+ folio_add_lru(folio);
swap_read_folio(ctx, folio);
if (readahead) {
folio_set_readahead(folio);
@@ -690,12 +693,13 @@ struct folio *swapin_sync(swp_entry_t entry, gfp_t gfp, unsigned long orders,
folio = swap_cache_get_folio(entry);
if (folio)
return folio;
- folio = swap_cache_alloc_folio(entry, gfp, orders, vmf, mpol, ilx);
+ folio = __swap_cache_alloc_folio(entry, gfp, orders, vmf, mpol, ilx);
} while (PTR_ERR(folio) == -EEXIST);

if (IS_ERR(folio))
return folio;

+ folio_add_lru(folio);
swap_read_folio(&ctx, folio);
swap_read_submit(&ctx);
return folio;
diff --git a/mm/zswap.c b/mm/zswap.c
index 37f34e406c8e..0d2efe21f18a 100644
--- a/mm/zswap.c
+++ b/mm/zswap.c
@@ -1001,8 +1001,8 @@ static int zswap_writeback_entry(struct zswap_entry *entry,
return -EEXIST;

mpol = get_task_policy(current);
- folio = swap_cache_alloc_folio(swpentry, GFP_KERNEL, BIT(0), NULL, mpol,
- NO_INTERLEAVE_INDEX);
+ folio = __swap_cache_alloc_folio(swpentry, GFP_KERNEL, BIT(0), NULL, mpol,
+ NO_INTERLEAVE_INDEX);
put_swap_device(si);

/*
@@ -1014,6 +1014,7 @@ static int zswap_writeback_entry(struct zswap_entry *entry,
*/
if (IS_ERR(folio))
return PTR_ERR(folio);
+ folio_add_lru(folio);

/*
* folio is locked, and the swapcache is now secured against
--
2.53.0-Meta