deactivate_file_folio(9)

💅 deactivate_file_folio — Kernel API Manual, section 9

okay so bestie, welcome to deactivate_file_folio(9) — genuinely one of those tiny little functions that's just vibing in the kernel and doing exactly one (1) thing, and honestly? iconic behavior. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

deactivate_file_folio — literally just deactivates a file folio. that's the whole plot. no cap. 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void deactivate_file_folio (struct folio *folio );

like, that's it. she's short, she's sweet, she returns void because she's not about to give you extra drama. 💜

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• folio — the folio you want to deactivate. that's the one. the main character. 🫶

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🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

okay so here's the tea: this function hints to the VM that folio is a good reclaim candidate. highkey generous of it tbh. 👑

when would you even want that? the manpage gives the example: if its invalidation fails because the folio is dirty or under writeback. so like, the invalidation said "nope, can't right now" and you're basically going "cool cool cool, then the VM might as well consider her reclaimable." 💀

it's a hint, bestie — not a command. don't go treating it like a guarantee. 🙈

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🧚 CONTEXT 🧚

the caller holds a reference on the folio. that's the vibe check for calling this — you gotta have that reference. no reference, no entry. periodt. ⭐

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./mm/folio.c
• folio_mark_accessed(9)
• folio_add_lru(9)
• folio_add_lru_vma(9)
• folio_mark_lazyfree(9)
• lru_cache_drain_for_folio(9)
• folios_put_refs(9)
• release_pages(9)
• folio_batch_remove_exceptionals(9)

like, the whole folio friend group fr fr. go read the rest of them, iykyk 💖

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and that's the page, bestie 🍓 — brought to you straight out of ./mm, dated October 2026, in the Kernel API Manual. slay, go forth and deactivate responsibly 💅🦋