xref: /386bsd/usr/src/kernel/mem/mem.4 (revision a2142627)
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34.Dd June 2, 1994
35.Dt MEM 4
36.Os
37.Sh NAME
38.Nm mem ,
39.Nm kmem
40.Nd memory files
41.Sh DESCRIPTION
42The special file
43.Nm /dev/mem
44is an interface to the physical memory of the computer.
45Byte offsets in this file are interpreted as physical memory addresses.
46Reading and writing this file is equivalent to reading and writing
47memory itself.
48Only offsets within the bounds of
49.Nm /dev/mem
50are allowed.
51.Pp
52Kernel virtual memory is accessed through the interface
53.Nm /dev/kmem
54in the same manner as
55.Nm /dev/mem .
56Only kernel virtual addresses that are currently mapped to memory are allowed.
57.Sh "I386 ARCHETECTURE DETAILS"
58.Pp
59On
60.Tn ISA
61the
62.Tn I/O
63memory space begins at physical address 0x000a0000
64and runs to 0x00100000.
65The kernel virtual address space (usually) starts at address 0xfe000000,
66and each process/thread kernel stack is uniquely located in the kernel
67heap above the kernel program.
68.Sh FILES
69.Bl -tag -width Pa -compact
70.It Pa /dev/mem
71.It Pa /dev/kmem
72.El
73.Sh HISTORY
74The
75.Nm mem ,
76.Nm kmem
77files appeared in
78.At v6 .
79