try_to_compact_pages(9)

💖 try_to_compact_pages(9) 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to the try_to_compact_pages page from the Kernel API Manual — yes it's a section 9 manpage, yes we're doing this, and yes you're gonna get it. 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

try_to_compact_pages — Direct compact to satisfy a high-order allocation

like, it goes in and compacts memory directly, no cap, so your high-order allocation can actually happen. 🔥

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

enum compact_result try_to_compact_pages (gfp_t gfp_mask , unsigned int
order , unsigned int alloc_flags , const struct alloc_context *ac , enum
compact_priority prio , struct capture_control *capc );

that's the whole signature, copy it exactly, i don't make the rules (i do, but still). 💅

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• gfp_mask — the GFP mask of the current allocation. the vibe-check flags, basically. ✨
• order — the order to try to make available. this is the size of the thing you're tryna fit, and it will be judged. 👑
• alloc_flags — the allocation flags of the current allocation. more flags, more context, we love a fully-specified caller. 🌸
• ac — the context of current allocation. it's a const struct alloc_context *, so hands off, no touching. 🙈
• prio — determines how hard direct compaction should try to succeed. an enum compact_priority, so like… how desperate are we. 😭
• capc — free page capture bypassing the freelist, a struct capture_control *. it's giving sneaky but make it efficient. 💀

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

This is the main entry point for direct page compaction. periodt. that's the whole description and honestly? iconic. it does exactly what it says on the tin — you call it, it compacts, directly. 🧚

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./mm/compaction.c — the source, go read it, iykyk 📖
• isolate_freepages_range(9)
• skip_isolation_on_order(9)
• isolate_migratepages_block(9)
• isolate_migratepages_range(9)

all of these are your little compaction besties, go say hi. 💜

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ngl if you're here you're probably debugging an allocation failure at like 2am. drink water, bestie. 🍓

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that's the whole page!! source is ./mm and it's dated October 2026 — so like, future girlie energy. stay compacted, mwah 💅💖🎀