The previous chapter covered the basics (and a lot more!) on using the available APIs for memory allocation via both the page (BSA) and the slab allocators within the kernel. In this chapter, we will delve further into this large and interesting topic. We cover the creation of custom slab caches, the vmalloc interfaces, and very importantly, given the wealth of choice, which APIs to use in which situation. Internal kernel details regarding the dreaded Out Of Memory (OOM) killer and demand paging help round off these important topics.
These areas tend to be one of the key aspects to understand when working with kernel modules, especially device drivers. A Linux system project's sudden crash with merely a Killed message on the console requires some explanation, yes!? The OOM killer's the sweet chap behind this...
