OSS + ELC EU 2026

Linux has steadily evolved toward Maple Tree as the preferred infrastructure for range-based indexing. While Maple Tree transformed process address-space management, several core memory-management subsystems still rely on legacy rb-tree-based designs.

This session uses the my vmalloc Maple Tree migration patch series as a case study to explore a broader question: what does it take to modernize a mature memory-management subsystem at the heart of the Linux kernel?

Unlike VMAs, vmalloc combines range allocation, gap tracking, coalescing, and lazy reclamation used by drivers, architectures, modules, and core kernel services. More than a data-structure replacement, it demonstrates how foundational kernel infrastructure can evolve while preserving correctness and long-standing semantics.

The talk covers the design motivations behind the transition, key trade-offs between augmented rb-trees and Maple Tree, scalability and metadata-efficiency improvements, and lessons learned from modernizing a core allocator. Attendees will gain insight into vmalloc internals, Maple Tree adoption beyond VMAs, and practical approaches for evolving Linux memory management infrastructure.