kernel-mc

a high-performance kernel patchset for all applications

kernel-mc?

kernel-mc is a refined, robust, and reliable patchset to the Linux Kernel that has evolved from trying to get the best performance possible without sacrificing long-term stability.

In the best spirit of experimentation, I've looked at various other patchsets over the years, but none quite satisfied my itch.

The Linux Kernel is a sophisticated and complex project, and for most purposes, it'll do just fine without any alteration. But if you want to get just that little bit extra out of your system, the -mc patchset might be for you.

what's changed?

kernel-mc is a minimal set of tweaks to the kernel to improve performance, streamline some fixes, and have my name on it.

The patchset includes:

• the Ultra-KSM patches - providing aggressive Samepage Merging in kernel space (5.15 and earlier only)
• some fixes from the Gentoo kernel community
• the Graysky CPU microarchitecture optimisation knobs

as well as some additional tweaks. Ultimately, the Linux kernel has a team of hundreds of people worldwide making it the best it can be - and I'm not arrogant enough to think that resecting large sections of the kernel is going to be useful. What I can offer is some tweaks that aren't in upstream that reduce memory usage, improve system responsiveness, and get you that 0.1% extra something on whatever it is you like to measure kernels with.

what's it been tested on?

I use kernel-mc on basically every Linux machine I run, save for the WSL2 instance on my Windows box, and anything I spin up for comparison testing or debugging. The -mc patchset is tested by me personally on X86, PowerPC, and AMD64/EM64T/x86_64 for every release.

Further, kernel-mc is the upstream for Adélie Linux, a musl-based Linux distribution with a focus on reliability and user experience.

The Adélie team regularly test additionally against ARM, ARM64, POWER (64-bit PowerPC, and others), as well as everything I test against, just to be sure.

Whether you feed it after midnight, get it wet, or shine bright lights in its eyes, kernel-mc will remain handsome, stable, and won't eat your computers.

which version should I use?

Barring any special considerations, the newest version here is the version you should use. All -mc releases are built on longterm-supported kernel versions, so forward porting is possible if necessary within a kernel release series.

On systems with low amounts of RAM (Sorry, this isn't Slackware 3.6, so I mean less than 256MB), I cannot yet recommend the use of the 6.1-series longterm (once I have prepared it), and recommend remaining on the latest 5.15-series.

where can I get it?

Right here.