Re: [PATCH] oom_pardon, aka don't kill my xlock [LWN.net]

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Re: [PATCH] oom_pardon, aka don't kill my xlock
[Posted September 28, 2004 by corbet]

From:
 Andries Brouwer <aebr-AT-win.tue.nl>
To:
 Thomas Habets <thomas-AT-habets.pp.se>
Subject:
 Re: [PATCH] oom_pardon, aka don't kill my xlock
Date:
 Fri, 24 Sep 2004 01:45:20 +0200
Cc:
 linux-kernel-AT-vger.kernel.org

On Thu, Sep 23, 2004 at 01:23:08AM +0200, Thomas Habets wrote:

> How about a sysctl that does "for the love of kbaek, don't ever kill these
> processes when OOM. If nothing else can be killed, I'd rather you panic"?

An aircraft company discovered that it was cheaper to fly its planes
with less fuel on board. The planes would be lighter and use less fuel
and money was saved. On rare occasions however the amount of fuel was
insufficient, and the plane would crash. This problem was solved by
the engineers of the company by the development of a special OOF
(out-of-fuel) mechanism. In emergency cases a passenger was selected
and thrown out of the plane. (When necessary, the procedure was
repeated.) A large body of theory was developed and many publications
were devoted to the problem of properly selecting the victim to be
ejected. Should the victim be chosen at random? Or should one choose
the heaviest person? Or the oldest? Should passengers pay in order not
to be ejected, so that the victim would be the poorest on board? And
if for example the heaviest person was chosen, should there be a
special exception in case that was the pilot? Should first class
passengers be exempted? Now that the OOF mechanism existed, it would
be activated every now and then, and eject passengers even when there
was no fuel shortage. The engineers are still studying precisely how
this malfunction is caused.
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The discussion centers on a proposal regarding how the operating system should handle processes when the system is experiencing Out-Of-Memory (OOM) conditions. Thomas Habets suggested implementing a sysctl configuration that establishes a directive instructing the kernel to refrain from terminating processes during an OOM event. Instead, Habets advocated for the system to "panic" if no other actions can be taken, prioritizing system integrity over immediate process termination.

This suggestion was framed by an analogy concerning an Out-Of-Fuel (OOF) mechanism in an aircraft, which illustrates the complex decision-making required during emergency situations. The analogy details how engineers developed an OOF system to handle fuel shortages, requiring complex moral and practical considerations regarding which passenger should be ejected. The discussion explores various quandaries inherent in such emergency protocols, such as whether victims should be chosen randomly, based on weight, age, or payment status, and whether specific exceptions should be made for certain passengers like the pilot or first-class travelers. Furthermore, the analogy notes that even with the OOF mechanism in place, the underlying cause of the malfunction remains under investigation.