Custom Memory Allocator

This repository contains my implementation of the malloc() function in C. Please note that this is primarly made for fun and eductional purposes to understand how the heap works. It is by no means a one-to-one implementation.

Features

• Dynamic Memory Allocation: The allocator dynamically manages memory using the mmap system call.
• Allocation and Deallocation: Users can allocate and deallocate memory using the mem_alloc and mem_free functions.
• Chunk Management: The allocator maintains lists of allocated and free memory chunks.

Quick Start

1. Compile the Code: (uses clang by default)

   $ make
   $ ./heap

2. Use the mem_alloc() function to allocatoe memroy:

   void *ptr = mem_alloc(32);

3. Use the mem_free() function to deallocate memory:

   mem_free(ptr1);

Known Limitations :

1. Only works on systems that have the mmap() system call
2. Not thread safe
3. Max heap size of 4096 bytes