Eratosthenes Updated +Created
Invertible Updated +Created
Ciro Santilli's hardware / 2019-03 Giant Control Tower 3 floor pump bike pump Updated +Created
20 pounds. Works on both Schrader and Presta.
Epoch times Updated +Created
Erdős number Updated +Created
In vivo Updated +Created
Mario Kart 64 Updated +Created
Ciro Santilli really liked the battle mode on this.
Mupen64Plus Updated +Created
x86 Paging Tutorial / K-ary trees to the rescue Updated +Created
The algorithmically minded will have noticed that paging requires associative array (like Java Map of Python dict()) abstract data structure where:
  • the keys are linear pages addresses, thus of integer type
  • the values are physical page addresses, also of integer type
The single level paging scheme uses a simple array implementation of the associative array:
  • the keys are the array index
  • this implementation is very fast in time
  • but it is too inefficient in memory
and in C pseudo-code it looks like this:
linear_address[0]      = physical_address_0
linear_address[1]      = physical_address_1
linear_address[2]      = physical_address_2
...
linear_address[2^20-1] = physical_address_N
But there another simple associative array implementation that overcomes the memory problem: an (unbalanced) k-ary tree.
A K-ary tree, is just like a binary tree, but with K children instead of 2.
Using a K-ary tree instead of an array implementation has the following trade-offs:
  • it uses way less memory
  • it is slower since we have to de-reference extra pointers
In C-pseudo code, a 2-level K-ary tree with K = 2^10 looks like this:
level0[0] = &level1_0[0]
    level1_0[0]      = physical_address_0_0
    level1_0[1]      = physical_address_0_1
    ...
    level1_0[2^10-1] = physical_address_0_N
level0[1] = &level1_1[0]
    level1_1[0]      = physical_address_1_0
    level1_1[1]      = physical_address_1_1
    ...
    level1_1[2^10-1] = physical_address_1_N
...
level0[N] = &level1_N[0]
    level1_N[0]      = physical_address_N_0
    level1_N[1]      = physical_address_N_1
    ...
    level1_N[2^10-1] = physical_address_N_N
and we have the following arrays:
  • one directory, which has 2^10 elements. Each element contains a pointer to a page table array.
  • up to 2^10 pagetable arrays. Each one has 2^10 4 byte page entries.
and it still contains 2^10 * 2^10 = 2^20 possible keys.
K-ary trees can save up a lot of space, because if we only have one key, then we only need the following arrays:
  • one directory with 2^10 entries
  • one pagetable at directory[0] with 2^10 entries
  • all other directory[i] are marked as invalid, don't point to anything, and we don't allocate pagetable for them at all
Probably quantum secure encryption algorithm Updated +Created
United States Government Updated +Created
Ethereum Updated +Created
Ethernet Updated +Created
Intel discrete GPU Updated +Created
Purgatory Updated +Created
Wafer (electronics) Updated +Created
Writing Updated +Created
x86 Paging Tutorial / Kernel vs process memory layout Updated +Created
The Linux Kernel reserves two zones of virtual memory:
  • one for kernel memory
  • one for programs
The exact split is configured by CONFIG_VMSPLIT_.... By default:
  • on 32-bit:
    • the bottom 3/4 is program space: 00000000 to BFFFFFFF
    • the top 1/4 is kernel memory: C0000000 to FFFFFFFF, like this:
      ------------------ FFFFFFFF
      Kernel
      ------------------ C0000000
      ------------------ BFFFFFFF
      
      
      Process
      
      
      ------------------ 00000000
  • on 64-bit: currently only 48-bits are actually used, split into two equally sized disjoint spaces. The Linux kernel just assigns:
    • the bottom part to processes 00000000 00000000 to 008FFFFF FFFFFFFF
    • the top part to the kernel: FFFF8000 00000000 to FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF, like this:
      ------------------ FFFFFFFF
      Kernel
      ------------------ C0000000
      
      
      (not addressable)
      
      
      ------------------ BFFFFFFF
      Process
      ------------------ 00000000
Kernel memory is also paged.
Ethology Updated +Created
Étienne-Louis Malus Updated +Created

Unlisted articles are being shown, click here to show only listed articles.