The kernel radar: folios, multi-generational LRU, and Rust

There are a variety of approaches to out-of-memory issues in different languages, and there has been quite an interesting on-and-off debate in computing about fault-intolerant languages (which can be useful because a program isn't trying to limp on with an uncertain state).

In a microkernel, where you might very well want a module to crash cleanly and get restarted, a fault-intolerant language would seem to make a lot of sense. Rust might well be ideal for writing modules in the L4 world. I'm not sure how it makes sense in Linux, although if the primary kernel developers say it does then there's an excellent chance it does even if I can't see it.

There are other languages that might have value (or even more value) in the kernel, but they're either hopelessly obscure or too difficult to find a 64-bit compiler for, and I seriously doubt there would be interest in yet another language until Rust succeeds/fails, the reasons are known and there are people who might credibly actually use such a provision.