[Linux] mmap and memory...

Some notable points when using mmap 

- mapping with MAP_PRIVATE doesn't carry updates through to the underlying file.

- mmap writing to file is deferred.

=> use msync to write back to file at certain time.

- See also, mprotect, madvise ...

mmap and memory(smaps).

protection argument and flag of mmap matches vma flags (ex. MAP_PRIVATE + PROT_READ | PROT_EXEC <=> r-xp )

* mmap to generic file
Writing to mapped memory doesn't increase process's memory usage(RSS) - doesn't request process's memory page.(I think just memory for disk cache is affected by this operation.)

* mmap to anonymous - MAP_PRIVATE
Demanded pages are treated as PrivateDirty (just like malloc)

map = mmap(NULL, mapsz, PROT_NONE, MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0);

there is only one VMA(size = mapsz) - Virtual Memory Area - for this map. And it's flag will be ---p.

mprotect(map, mapsz / 3, PROT_WRITE);

Now, two VMAs are used for this map.
One(vma0) is VMA(-w-p) whose size is mapsz / 3. The other(vma1) is VMA(---p) whose size is mapsz / 3 * 2.

sz = mapsz / 3; while (sz--) map[sz] = 0xff;

Now, vma0 has PrivateDirty (size = mapsz / 3) because pages are demanded and written.

* mmap to anonymous - MAP_SHARED   
Same with above. But, shared flag is used instead of private flag.
And in case of shared memory, PSS is very valuable information along with RSS.

(to be continued...)