Sender:	nate AT cartsys DOT com
Message-ID:	<3590178D.BE7454D@cartsys.com>
Date:	Tue, 23 Jun 1998 14:01:01 -0700
From:	Nate Eldredge <nate AT cartsys DOT com>
MIME-Version:	1.0
To:	"Salvador Eduardo Tropea (SET)" <salvador AT inti DOT gov DOT ar>
CC:	djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: DJGPP v2.01 malloc wasting 4Kb
References:	<m0yoVVJ-000S3xC AT inti DOT gov DOT ar>

Salvador Eduardo Tropea (SET) wrote:
> 
> Hi All:
> 
>  If I'm right malloc is wasting 4Kb each time we allocate a block >= 4Kb.
> Malloc allocates one extra page and this page is simply wasted. I saw it when I
> tried to allocate all the RAM in pages (after configuring CWSDPMI to allow it
> because I were using 32Mb).
>  My questions are:
> 
> 1) Is that correct? (To test it you can make some allocations of 4000 bytes and
> check the free memory you'll see each allocation is taking 2 pages instead of
> 1).
> 2) Can we fix it in the distribution? Currently there are too much known bugs
> in v2.01, as an example: my editor needs at least 3 patchs for libs to work.
> 3) What's the status of 2.02? The last snapshot is too old!
> 
> I know Nate is mainting an unofficial patched version but: Are these patchs
> really tested? isn't that worst than having an updated beta version?

People are requested to test their patches, and have them peer-reviewed
to some extent, before submitting them.

The distinction between that and the 2.02 tree is, as I see it, that the
patches are intended only to fix bugs, while 2.02 may add features that
could introduce new bugs.  It's similar to the difference between the
2.0.x and 2.1.x development paths of Linux, for those who are familiar.

I personally feel that beta releases would be a good idea.  However, the
current 2.02 is considered "alpha" by DJ-- i.e. "it's not necessarily
expected to work".  Also, frequently released betas makes a lot of work
for whoever is in charge, and that would be DJ.
-- 

Nate Eldredge
nate AT cartsys DOT com

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