🚀 go-pugleaf

Date:     Sun, 18 Jan 87 23:38 EST
From:     <LINDAHL@BRANDEIS.BITNET>
Subject:  GEMDOS memory allocation
To:       info-atari16@score.stanford.edu
X-Original-To:  info-atari16@score.stanford.edu, LINDAHL



has anyone looked into the way that GEMDOS manages memory? i seem to lose
RAM over time, especially after running programs like micro emacs which
do lots of Malloc calls (you are only allowed to allocate 20 blocks per
process according to the GEMDOS manual). i think that GEMDOS "loses" memory
when you do too many Mallocs, so i would like to look at the memory free
and memory allocated lists and see what blocks aren't on either list.

i looked into the Getmpb() bios function, but it seems that as far as the
bios is concerned, GEMDOS allocates all memory. obviously GEMDOS is
managing this memory internally.

i next tried to trace a Malloc() call using MonST in trace-walk mode,
but my machine freezes up when the rom routine tries to change register a7.
(i guess that MonST isn't preserving it's stack or something.) no doubt the
answer lies in the rom somewhere, but i'd rather spend lots of time looking.

does anyone have any idea where GEMDOS keeps its list?


Greg Lindahl

us snail:    box 2522 brandeis university      bitnet: lindahl@brandeis.bitnet
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