this repo explores the inner workings of memory allocation by implementing a small version of the malloc function in C. in this project i'm aiming to get a deep understanding of how the operating system manages memory and the concepts behind dynamic memory allocation.

How it works

• smalloc(size) rounds size up to 16, then walks the chunk list (g_chunk → next_chnuk → …) for the first free chunk that is big enough. If none fits, it mmaps a new zone (16 KiB, or bigger for large requests) and appends it.
• If the chosen chunk is much bigger than needed, it is split: the tail becomes a new free chunk right after it.
• s_free(ptr) finds the chunk, sets sts = false, and merges it with free neighbours that sit right next to it in memory, so space doesn't break into tiny pieces.
• show_mem() prints every chunk with its address, size and state.

Run it

make
./smalloc        # runs main.c: allocate, free, reuse, and print the chunk list

_{Diagrams in docs/ are generated SVGs, drawn to match the code in this repo.}