[GHC] #698: GHC's internal memory allocator never releases memory back to the OS

[GHC]

#698: GHC's internal memory allocator never releases memory back to the OS
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    Reporter:  guest             |        Owner:  igloo           
        Type:  bug               |       Status:  new             
    Priority:  low               |    Milestone:  6.12 branch     
   Component:  Runtime System    |      Version:  6.4.1           
    Severity:  normal            |   Resolution:                  
    Keywords:                    |   Difficulty:  Moderate (1 day)
    Testcase:  N/A               |           Os:  Unknown/Multiple
Architecture:  Unknown/Multiple  |  
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Comment (by crutcher):

 meh. This page (pointed to by the code and the wiki) is absent:
 http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/wiki/Commentary/Rts/Storage/GC

 All of this comes down to the need for a process which, given a target X
 of memory to free, comes as close as reasonably possible to doing so.

 The simplest approach would be to release free blocks and megablocks until
 X is satisfied, or there are no more candidate blocks or megablocks. This
 will likely give us reasonable behavior in the allocBytes case, but
 without some form of compaction, this doesn't really solve the larger
 problem.

 I don't understand the garbage collector well enough yet, but I imagine we
 could entice it or some of its machinery to clear our candidate blocks for
 us. I'll keep reading :P

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/698#comment:20>
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