Re: [PATCH RFC] fs: drop_caches: introduce per-node drop_caches interface

Matthew Wilcox
2026-04-09T20:39:12Z

On Thu, Apr 09, 2026 at 09:41:12PM +0200, Michal Hocko wrote:
> <rant>
> Our caching strategies might not be fitting all existing usecases but as
> usual we are targetting as many of them as viable. The problem with
> drop_caches is that it has grown unproportianal amount of cargo cult and
> grown into "solution for any performance problems" magic pill. Even when
> proven to cause more problems than it solves so many times. Again and
> again. That is really sad. Same as THP causes more problems than it
> solves and that you should be using 2GB of swap space or that swap out
> is a signal of a disaster. There are more and they are hard to die.
> </rant>

I get a kick out of seeing articles like this still being published:

https://kb.netapp.com/on-prem/ontap/da/NAS/NAS-KBs/What_are_the_differences_between_hard_mount_and_soft_mount

'intr' and 'nointr' have been no-ops since 2007 -- eighteen years before
this article was last updated. We should make more things no-ops.