awesome-allocators

Awesome links and information about memory allocation

malloc/free Implementations

• the trivial bump allocator: bump allocator
• liballoc (for hobby OS's): https://github.com/blanham/liballoc/
• dbestfit: https://daniel.haxx.se/projects/dbestfit/thoughts.html
• dlmalloc: http://g.oswego.edu/dl/html/malloc.html
• heapmm (AVL tree based): http://www.geocities.ws/wkaras/heapmm/heapmm.html
• jemalloc: http://jemalloc.net/
• nedmalloc: http://www.nedprod.com/programs/portable/nedmalloc/
• tcmalloc: http://goog-perftools.sourceforge.net/doc/tcmalloc.html
• ltmalloc: https://github.com/r-lyeh-archived/ltalloc
• download more ram: https://github.com/graphitemaster/moreram
• TLSF one malloc to rule them all (blog post) - http://blog.reverberate.org/2009/02/one-malloc-to-rule-them-all.html
• wee alloc a custom allocator for webasm, minimizing binary size.
• tinyalloc for unmanaged, linear memory situations, e.g. WASM and embedded devices
• naens/mem_alloc A fibonacci buddies alloctor with a good writeup explaining the system.

Heaps

• https://github.com/CCareaga/heap_allocator
• https://symfun.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/heap-ml-implementation/

Garbage Collectors

• http://www.hboehm.info/gc/
• http://www.ravenbrook.com/project/mps

General Learning

• Memory Management Enyclopedia: http://www.memorymanagement.org/
• SystemProgramming guide: Memory, Part 1: Heap Memory Introduction
• SystemProgramming guide: Memory, Part 2: Implementing a Memory Allocator
• Visualizing GCs: https://spin.atomicobject.com/2014/09/03/visualizing-garbage-collection-algorithms/
• Mark and Sweep GC Tutorial: http://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2013/12/08/babys-first-garbage-collector/
• OpenBSD code read: malloc - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
• Write a simple memory allocator: http://arjunsreedharan.org/post/148675821737/write-a-simple-memory-allocator
• Pseudomonarchia jemallocum (Investigating the security of jemalloc): http://www.phrack.org/issues/68/10.html
• slab allocation in cixl language: https://github.com/basic-gongfu/cixl/blob/master/devlog/slab_allocation.md
• GopherCon 2018: Eben Freeman - Allocator Wrestling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0HER1G5BRw
• Bitmap allocation in a garbage collector: http://sean.cm/a/tricolor-garbage-collector
• Binary buddies allocator: http://www.memorymanagement.org/mmref/alloc.html
• http://dmitrysoshnikov.com/compilers/writing-a-memory-allocator/

Great Papers

• One pass real-time generational mark-sweep garbage collection, J Armstrong, R Virding (1995) - link1 link2
• Worst case fragmentation of first fit and best fit storage allocation strategies, JM Robson (1977) - link
• The Memory Fragmentation Problem: Solved?, Mark S Johnston, Paul R Wilson (1997) - link
• Beltway: Getting Around Garbage Collection Gridlock - Stephen M Blackburn, Richard Jones, Kathryn S McKinley, J Eliot B Moss - link A generational GC algorithm framework.
• Mesh: Compacting Memory Management for C/C++ Applications - Bobby Powers, David Tench, Emery D. Berger, Andrew McGregor + source

Good Papers

• Implementing Malloc: Students and Systems Programming - Brian P. Railing, Randal E. Bryant discuss the CS coursework about implementing malloc.