docs/core-api: memory-allocation: clarify when to use kzalloc_obj and kzalloc

[PATCH] docs/core-api: memory-allocation: clarify when to use kzalloc_obj and kzalloc

Posted by Mike Rapoport 2 weeks, 4 days ago

From: "Mike Rapoport (Microsoft)" <rppt@kernel.org>

Make it abundantly clear that in the most cases objects should be
allocated with kzalloc_obj() and buffers should be allocated with
kzalloc().

Signed-off-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@kernel.org>
---

This applies on top of "docs/core-api: memory-allocation: add
k[mz]alloc_obj() and clarify kmalloc" series

https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260902-docs-memalloc-guide-v2-0-218c1a4dcb80@kernel.org

 Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst | 4 +++-
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
index 823f7fa57429b..648222b6c8576 100644
--- a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
+++ b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ answer, although very likely you should use
 
   kzalloc_obj(<VAR_OR_TYPE>);
 
-or
+if you need memory for an object and
 
 ::
 
   kzalloc(<size>, GFP_KERNEL);
 
+if you need memory for a buffer.
+
 Of course there are cases when other allocation APIs and different GFP
 flags must be used.
 

base-commit: d7dd88ed029164fe0a959e126d0ce18dd3719f89
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH] docs/core-api: memory-allocation: clarify when to use kzalloc_obj and kzalloc

Posted by David Hildenbrand (Arm) 2 weeks, 4 days ago

On 9/7/26 08:36, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> From: "Mike Rapoport (Microsoft)" <rppt@kernel.org>
> 
> Make it abundantly clear that in the most cases objects should be
> allocated with kzalloc_obj() and buffers should be allocated with
> kzalloc().
> 
> Signed-off-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@kernel.org>
> ---

Reviewed-by: David Hildenbrand (Arm) <david@kernel.org>

-- 
Cheers,

David

Re: [PATCH] docs/core-api: memory-allocation: clarify when to use kzalloc_obj and kzalloc

Posted by Lorenzo Stoakes (ARM) 2 weeks, 4 days ago

On Mon, Sep 07, 2026 at 09:36:54AM +0300, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> From: "Mike Rapoport (Microsoft)" <rppt@kernel.org>
>
> Make it abundantly clear that in the most cases objects should be
> allocated with kzalloc_obj() and buffers should be allocated with
> kzalloc().
>
> Signed-off-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@kernel.org>

LGTM so

Acked-by: Lorenzo Stoakes (ARM) <ljs@kernel.org>

> ---
>
> This applies on top of "docs/core-api: memory-allocation: add
> k[mz]alloc_obj() and clarify kmalloc" series
>
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260902-docs-memalloc-guide-v2-0-218c1a4dcb80@kernel.org
>
>  Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst | 4 +++-
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> index 823f7fa57429b..648222b6c8576 100644
> --- a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> @@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ answer, although very likely you should use
>
>    kzalloc_obj(<VAR_OR_TYPE>);
>
> -or
> +if you need memory for an object and
>
>  ::
>
>    kzalloc(<size>, GFP_KERNEL);
>
> +if you need memory for a buffer.
> +
>  Of course there are cases when other allocation APIs and different GFP
>  flags must be used.
>
>
> base-commit: d7dd88ed029164fe0a959e126d0ce18dd3719f89
> --
> 2.53.0
>

--
Cheers, Lorenzo

Re: [PATCH] docs/core-api: memory-allocation: clarify when to use kzalloc_obj and kzalloc

Posted by Vlastimil Babka (SUSE) 2 weeks, 4 days ago

On 9/7/26 08:36, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> From: "Mike Rapoport (Microsoft)" <rppt@kernel.org>
> 
> Make it abundantly clear that in the most cases objects should be
> allocated with kzalloc_obj() and buffers should be allocated with
> kzalloc().
> 
> Signed-off-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@kernel.org>

Acked-by: Vlastimil Babka (SUSE) <vbabka@kernel.org>

> ---
> 
> This applies on top of "docs/core-api: memory-allocation: add
> k[mz]alloc_obj() and clarify kmalloc" series
> 
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260902-docs-memalloc-guide-v2-0-218c1a4dcb80@kernel.org
> 
>  Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst | 4 +++-
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> index 823f7fa57429b..648222b6c8576 100644
> --- a/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/core-api/memory-allocation.rst
> @@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ answer, although very likely you should use
>  
>    kzalloc_obj(<VAR_OR_TYPE>);
>  
> -or
> +if you need memory for an object and
>  
>  ::
>  
>    kzalloc(<size>, GFP_KERNEL);
>  
> +if you need memory for a buffer.
> +
>  Of course there are cases when other allocation APIs and different GFP
>  flags must be used.
>  
> 
> base-commit: d7dd88ed029164fe0a959e126d0ce18dd3719f89