F46 Change Proposal: Deprecate low-memory-monitor package (system-wide)

Project Discussion Change Proposals
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1

:link: Deprecate low-memory-monitor package

This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.

Wiki
Announced

:link: Summary

Modern GLib (GMemoryMonitor) introduces memory monitor backends that run independently without relying on an external daemon to send low-memory signals to applications. Previously, low-memory-daemon was the sole provider of these events. Since GLib no longer requires low-memory-monitor to deliver these notifications and it is an archived project, low-memory-monitor can be deprecated.

:link: Owner

:link: Detailed Description

With the introduction of native GMemoryMonitor backends [1-2] in GLib (including Linux kernel Pressure Stall Information (PSI) monitoring and a fallback polling mechanism), GLib can now monitor local memory usage directly. Previously, applications relied on an external background service, low-memory-monitor, via D-Bus to receive low-memory signals. The new Linux PSI backend actively monitors kernel-level resource pressure and emits signals to GMemoryMonitor subscribers when memory limits are reached. If PSI is disabled or unavailable, the fallback backend polls system memory metrics directly.

Because GMemoryMonitor no longer requires a dedicated external daemon to function, low-memory-monitor can be deprecated. However, GLib retains the legacy D-Bus backend for low-memory-monitor to ensure backward compatibility with older distributions.

[1] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/merge_requests/4481 [2] Resource Pressure Handling

:link: Feedback

See Resource Pressure Handling

:link: Benefit to Fedora

Since GMemoryMonitor can run without an external service, low-memory-monitor can be deprecated. The runtime usage is reduced by stopping running low-memory-monitor.

:link: Scope

  • Proposal owners: Kate Hsuan

  • Other developers:

  • Release engineering: #Releng issue number

  • Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Alignment with the Fedora Strategy:

:link: Upgrade/compatibility impact

Glib2 manages all the dependencies and GMemoryMonitor runs independently, so upgrade/compatibility won’t be impacted.

:link: Early Testing (Optional)

Do you require ‘QA Blueprint’ support? Y/N

:link: How To Test

1. Make a test code from the example code mentioned in the documents [1].
2. Compile and run the test program in a memory-limited system.
3. Stree the memory until the signal is emitted.

[1] Gio.MemoryMonitor

:link: User Experience

:link: Dependencies

:link: Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No

Bring back the low-memory-monitor package since the Dbus backend of GMemoryMonitor is still there.

:link: Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

:link: Release Notes

Last edited by @amoloney 2026-07-22T15:46:58Z

Last edited by @amoloney 2026-07-22T15:46:58Z

2

How do you feel about the proposal as written?

  • Strongly in favor
  • In favor, with reservations
  • Neutral
  • Opposed, but could be convinced
  • Strongly opposed
0 voters

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3

I’m slightly confused, the proposal seems to be self-contradictory in some places.

From the Summary:

low-memory-monitor can be deprecated

From the Contingency Plan:

Bring back the low-memory-monitor package

This doesn’t make sense to me - deprecating a package is not equivalent to removing it.

There is documentation and process for deprecating packages, and removal is not part of it.

If this Change Proposal aims to actually remove low-memory-monitor from Fedora 46, it should explicitly say “remove”, “drop” or “retire” - not “deprecate”, since they are not equivalent processes, and have different outcomes.

1 Like
4

I think lots of people get confused about the difference here… but I completely agree we need the change to clarify which one it means when.

1 Like
5

If this Change Proposal aims to actually remove low-memory-monitor from Fedora 46, it should explicitly say “remove”, “drop” or “retire” - not “deprecate”, since they are not equivalent processes, and have different outcomes.

I was confused and I’ll revise the proposal.

Thank you :slight_smile:

2 Likes
6

This change proposal has now been submitted to FESCo with ticket [#3671](Making sure you're not a bot!) for voting.

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7

Thank you for updating the Change.

However, looking into it further, I am still a bit confused:

  • The “low-memory-monitor” package in Fedora is not depended on by any other package in Fedora 44+. The only dependency I could find was on Fedora 43, where xdg-desktop-portal depends on it.
  • The package is also not mentioned in comps, kiwi or pungi definitions.

So, as far as I can tell, “dropping low-memory-monitor” from the default install is a noop, since this is already the case. It is not (and was never?) present on my Fedora 44 Workstation install, for example.

8

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply. I was in the vacation last week.

low-memory-monitor can be found in rawhide. Considering The new backend in Glib2 can replace low-memory-monitor and the source repo is archived by the author, so low-memory-monitor can be dropped in F46.

Moreover, a bz also suggested to retire the package.

So, as far as I can tell, “dropping low-memory-monitor” from the default install is a noop, since this is already the case. It is not (and was never?) present on my Fedora 44 Workstation install, for example.

I have updated the wiki to “Drop low-memory-monitor package”. I didn’t update it in the discussion. Sorry for the confusion.