| Kernel Memory Layout on ARM Linux | |
| Russell King <rmk@arm.linux.org.uk> | |
| November 17, 2005 (2.6.15) | |
| This document describes the virtual memory layout which the Linux | |
| kernel uses for ARM processors. It indicates which regions are | |
| free for platforms to use, and which are used by generic code. | |
| The ARM CPU is capable of addressing a maximum of 4GB virtual memory | |
| space, and this must be shared between user space processes, the | |
| kernel, and hardware devices. | |
| As the ARM architecture matures, it becomes necessary to reserve | |
| certain regions of VM space for use for new facilities; therefore | |
| this document may reserve more VM space over time. | |
| Start End Use | |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| ffff8000 ffffffff copy_user_page / clear_user_page use. | |
| For SA11xx and Xscale, this is used to | |
| setup a minicache mapping. | |
| ffff1000 ffff7fff Reserved. | |
| Platforms must not use this address range. | |
| ffff0000 ffff0fff CPU vector page. | |
| The CPU vectors are mapped here if the | |
| CPU supports vector relocation (control | |
| register V bit.) | |
| ffc00000 fffeffff DMA memory mapping region. Memory returned | |
| by the dma_alloc_xxx functions will be | |
| dynamically mapped here. | |
| ff000000 ffbfffff Reserved for future expansion of DMA | |
| mapping region. | |
| VMALLOC_END feffffff Free for platform use, recommended. | |
| VMALLOC_END must be aligned to a 2MB | |
| boundary. | |
| VMALLOC_START VMALLOC_END-1 vmalloc() / ioremap() space. | |
| Memory returned by vmalloc/ioremap will | |
| be dynamically placed in this region. | |
| VMALLOC_START may be based upon the value | |
| of the high_memory variable. | |
| PAGE_OFFSET high_memory-1 Kernel direct-mapped RAM region. | |
| This maps the platforms RAM, and typically | |
| maps all platform RAM in a 1:1 relationship. | |
| TASK_SIZE PAGE_OFFSET-1 Kernel module space | |
| Kernel modules inserted via insmod are | |
| placed here using dynamic mappings. | |
| 00001000 TASK_SIZE-1 User space mappings | |
| Per-thread mappings are placed here via | |
| the mmap() system call. | |
| 00000000 00000fff CPU vector page / null pointer trap | |
| CPUs which do not support vector remapping | |
| place their vector page here. NULL pointer | |
| dereferences by both the kernel and user | |
| space are also caught via this mapping. | |
| Please note that mappings which collide with the above areas may result | |
| in a non-bootable kernel, or may cause the kernel to (eventually) panic | |
| at run time. | |
| Since future CPUs may impact the kernel mapping layout, user programs | |
| must not access any memory which is not mapped inside their 0x0001000 | |
| to TASK_SIZE address range. If they wish to access these areas, they | |
| must set up their own mappings using open() and mmap(). |