PROBE::VM.KMALLOC(3stap)

💖 probe::vm.kmalloc — the 3stap moment 💖

okay bestie, so this is a page from the SystemTap Tapset Reference (that's the 3stap manual, iykyk), and we're talking about the vm.kmalloc probe. it's giving memory-allocated realness. let's go ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

probe::vm.kmalloc — Fires when kmalloc is requested 🎀

like. the second somebody asks the kernel for some kmemory, this probe is UP and it is READY. main character energy fr fr 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

probe vm.kmalloc {}

no args, no drama, just vibes. she takes nothing and she fires anyway. iconic 🫶

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🌸 VALUES 🌸

these are the lil' goodies the probe hands you when it fires. every single one, no skips, no cap 💖

• ptr — a pointer to the kmemory that got allocated. that's your address bestie, hold onto it 🎀
• caller_function — the name of the caller function. as in, who ordered this allocation. we found them 👑
• gfp_flags — the type of kmemory to allocate. flags, but make it allocation-coded ✨
• bytes_alloc — the allocated Bytes. what you actually got 🍓
• gfp_flag_name — the type of kmemory to allocate, but in String format. same energy as gfp_flags, just dressed up cute 💅
• name — the name of the probe point. hi, it's me, the probe point 🌈
• bytes_req — the requested Bytes. what you asked for (not always what you get, and that's the tea 😭)
• call_site — the address of the kmemory function. where the whole thing went down 📍

ngl, bytes_req and bytes_alloc being two separate values is the plot twist of this entire page. requested vs. allocated. they're not the same and we love that for them 💀

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• tapset::memory(3stap) — go read this one too, bestie, it's the whole memory tapset and it ATE 🌸

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and that's the page!! this was SystemTap Tapset Reference, version dated September 2026, and honestly? she served. thanks for coming to my ted talk, now go instrument some kmalloc calls 💜🧚✨