Re: How does Debian load the kernel modules

[Hernán Freschi <hjf@hjf.com.ar>]

Matus UHLAR - fantomas wrote:

> On 29.09.06 16:46, Hernán Freschi wrote:
>
> > I wonder what happens to modules when the system needs RAM? I know 
> > Windows stupidly swaps the System memory by default (unless you enable 
> > the DisablePagingExecutive option in the registry). Does linux force the 
> > modules to stay in RAM or does it try to swap them when it's RAM-hungry?
>
>
> I think linux does not swap kernel memory due to its "monolitic kernel"
> architecture. As long as windows have microkernel architecture, it allows to
> swap even the kernel. 
>
> Hard to say which is better. If the kernel space needs to be swapped,
> something is very bad... but swapping out unused kernel code may make the
> system go faster due to more memory available.

Well, I, for one, do not like that. The kernel is very small and 
unloading it from RAM means trouble. It doesn't free up that much memory 
to justify such an "extreme" action. (The system runs very, very slow 
once the Kernel, and other system processes, have been swapped).

Cheers,
Hernan