Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:00:53 -0500 (EST) | From | linux-os <> | Subject | Re: NTFS - Kernel memory leak in driver for kernel 2.4.28? |
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On Wed, 16 Feb 2005, Martin Bogomolni wrote:
[SNIPPED...]
> after the 'find' command is run. malloc( ) fails to allocate > afterwards. so the kernel does not free any of the missing RAM for > malloc( ). >
Whatever program is using malloc() is either corrupting its buffers or has a memory leak.
Malloc() will always succeed even if the kernel has no memory available. This is because the actual allocation only occurs when the program attempts to write to one of those pages malloc() "promised".
When you look at kernel memory after using `find` everything, the directory of everything you have accessed remains in memory until the kernel needs page(s) to give to processes.
So, the bottom line is, if malloc() returns NULL, you have a problem with your program. It has nothing to do with the kernel and "discovering" that the kernel has used all available RAM for temporary buffers is not interesting.
[SNIPPED...]
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