They are cache-friendly in normal Linux kernel usage. There are not distinct allocations for list links; the pointers are embedded (via a small struct) in the

They are cache-friendly in normal Linux kernel usage. There are not distinct allocations for list links; the pointers are embedded (via a small struct) in the struct that is being dealt with. In walking the list, you normally need to look at that stuff anyway, and with everything together you can share cache lines. It isn't normal to run down the entire length of a list without looking at the data. Since you need to look at the data anyway, it is best that the data share cache lines with the linked list info.