Compacting the Uncompactable

Explore a groundbreaking solution to memory fragmentation in C/C++ programs in this 40-minute conference talk from Strange Loop. Dive into the world of Mesh, a revolutionary plug-in replacement for malloc that eliminates fragmentation in unmodified C/C++ applications through compaction. Learn how this innovative approach combines randomized algorithms with virtual memory operations to reduce memory consumption and improve performance in languages like C, C++, Ruby, and Python. Discover the challenges of working in an environment where allocated object addresses are directly exposed to programmers and how Mesh overcomes these obstacles. Examine real-world examples of Mesh's impact, including significant memory reductions in Firefox and Redis. Gain insights into ongoing efforts to incorporate Mesh's approach into existing allocators like jemalloc. Follow along as Bobby Powers, a PhD candidate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, guides you through the intricacies of memory management, garbage collection, and the future of efficient software development.