Memory Layout on AArch64 Linux
==============================
Author: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@arm.com>
Date : 20 February 2012
This document describes the virtual memory layout used by the AArch64
Linux kernel. The architecture allows up to 4 levels of translation
tables with a 4KB page size and up to 3 levels with a 64KB page size.
AArch64 Linux uses 3 levels of translation tables with the 4KB page
configuration, allowing 39-bit (512GB) virtual addresses for both user
and kernel. With 64KB pages, only 2 levels of translation tables are
used but the memory layout is the same.
User addresses have bits 63:39 set to 0 while the kernel addresses have
the same bits set to 1. TTBRx selection is given by bit 63 of the
virtual address. The swapper_pg_dir contains only kernel (global)
mappings while the user pgd contains only user (non-global) mappings.
The swapper_pgd_dir address is written to TTBR1 and never written to
TTBR0.
AArch64 Linux memory layout with 4KB pages:
Start End Size Use
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
0000000000000000 0000007fffffffff 512GB user
ffffff8000000000 ffffffbbfffeffff ~240GB vmalloc
ffffffbbffff0000 ffffffbbffffffff 64KB [guard page]
ffffffbc00000000 ffffffbdffffffff 8GB vmemmap
ffffffbe00000000 ffffffbffbbfffff ~8GB [guard, future vmmemap]
ffffffbffbc00000 ffffffbffbdfffff 2MB earlyprintk device
ffffffbffbe00000 ffffffbffbe0ffff 64KB PCI I/O space
ffffffbffbe10000 ffffffbcffffffff ~2MB [guard]
ffffffbffc000000 ffffffbfffffffff 64MB modules
ffffffc000000000 ffffffffffffffff 256GB kernel logical memory map
AArch64 Linux memory layout with 64KB pages:
Start End Size Use
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
0000000000000000 000003ffffffffff 4TB user
fffffc0000000000 fffffdfbfffeffff ~2TB vmalloc
fffffdfbffff0000 fffffdfbffffffff 64KB [guard page]
fffffdfc00000000 fffffdfdffffffff 8GB vmemmap
fffffdfe00000000 fffffdfffbbfffff ~8GB [guard, future vmmemap]
fffffdfffbc00000 fffffdfffbdfffff 2MB earlyprintk device
fffffdfffbe00000 fffffdfffbe0ffff 64KB PCI I/O space
fffffdfffbe10000 fffffdfffbffffff ~2MB [guard]
fffffdfffc000000 fffffdffffffffff 64MB modules
fffffe0000000000 ffffffffffffffff 2TB kernel logical memory map
Translation table lookup with 4KB pages:
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|63 56|55 48|47 40|39 32|31 24|23 16|15 8|7 0|
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| | | | | |
| | | | | v
| | | | | [11:0] in-page offset
| | | | +-> [20:12] L3 index
| | | +-----------> [29:21] L2 index
| | +---------------------> [38:30] L1 index
| +-------------------------------> [47:39] L0 index (not used)
+-------------------------------------------------> [63] TTBR0/1
Translation table lookup with 64KB pages:
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|63 56|55 48|47 40|39 32|31 24|23 16|15 8|7 0|
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| | | | |
| | | | v
| | | | [15:0] in-page offset
| | | +----------> [28:16] L3 index
| | +--------------------------> [41:29] L2 index (only 38:29 used)
| +-------------------------------> [47:42] L1 index (not used)
+-------------------------------------------------> [63] TTBR0/1
When using KVM, the hypervisor maps kernel pages in EL2, at a fixed
offset from the kernel VA (top 24bits of the kernel VA set to zero):
Start End Size Use
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
0000004000000000 0000007fffffffff 256GB kernel objects mapped in HYP