kmem_cache_shrink(9)

💅 NAME

kmem_cache_shrink — Shrink a cache.

okay so bestie, welcome to the kmem_cache_shrink(9) page from the Kernel API Manual ✨ this one is literally about shrinking a cache, and it's lowkey iconic for debugging vibes 💖

🌸 SYNOPSIS

int kmem_cache_shrink (struct kmem_cache *cachep );

🎀 ARGUMENTS

• cachep — the cache to shrink. yes queen, that's the cache you're pointing at 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION

Releases as many slabs as possible for a cache.

to help debugging, a zero exit status indicates all slabs were released. that's the little debug signal, iykyk 🫶

debugging tea ☕: if the exit status is zero, all slabs got released, periodt.

✨ RETURN

• 0 — all slabs were released, slay 🎉
• non-zero — not all slabs were released, so it's giving "not fully shrunk" 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO

• Kernel file ./mm/slab_common.c
• __kmem_cache_create_args(9)
• kmem_buckets_create(9)
• kmem_dump_obj(9)
• kfree_sensitive(9)
• struct kvfree_rcu_bulk_data(9)
• struct kfree_rcu_cpu_work(9)
• struct kfree_rcu_cpu(9)
• kvfree_rcu_barrier(9)
• kvfree_rcu_barrier_on_cache(9)

that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 source/version: ./mm · date: October 2026 · page: kmem_cache_shrink(9) — mwah 💋