I probably used the wrong terminology here. What I meant really is avoiding (minimizing) disk I/O. (Others have already pointed out how k avoids I/O with main memory by staying resident in a CPU cache.)

Ideally I would prefer a system with sufficient RAM, without the need for "short-term" disk storage and thus without the need for virtual memory. Because today, I have the RAM I need. I have no requirement for short-term disk storage.

But like the rest of us, I use kernels that date back to a different era. These are kernels that assume insufficient RAM, the presence of a disk and the need for a "swap device" to do work. Disk I/O is a major part of that paradigm and has been embraced by software authors.

To me, disk is slow. Even SSD. I seek a different paradigm, not one still focused on secondary storage. k is the closest thing I have found.