#ifdef MADV_FREE
// Try MADV_FREE first, FreeBSD has both and MADV_DONTNEED
- // just swaps memory out
+ // just swaps memory out. Linux >= 4.5 has both DONTNEED and FREE; either
+ // will work as they both allow the system to free anonymous pages.
+ // It is important that we try both methods as the kernel which we were
+ // built on may differ from the kernel we are now running on.
r = madvise(at, size, MADV_FREE);
-#else
- r = madvise(at, size, MADV_DONTNEED);
+ if(r < 0) {
+ if (errno == EINVAL) {
+ // Perhaps the system doesn't support MADV_FREE; fall-through and
+ // try MADV_DONTNEED.
+ } else {
+ sysErrorBelch("unable to decommit memory");
+ }
+ } else {
+ return;
+ }
#endif
+
+ r = madvise(at, size, MADV_DONTNEED);
if(r < 0)
sysErrorBelch("unable to decommit memory");
}