Subject: Re: Pointers to VM documentation
To: None <tech-kern@NetBSD.ORG, vax@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
From: Mike Hibler <mike@cs.utah.edu>
List: tech-kern
Date: 06/07/1995 15:35:55
> From: VaX#n8 <vax@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
> Subject: Pointers to VM documentation
> To: tech-kern@netbsd.org
> Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 15:29:24 -0500 (CDT)
> 
> I need some references on how the VM system of NetBSD works.
> I have the Leffler et. al. book for 4.3, but I'm not sure how close
> NetBSD is to it.  Should I get the Bach book on System III?  Where do I start?
> 
No the Bach book would be useless.  I had always intended to write up a tech
report or something about the VM system for 4.4bsd (NetBSD is largely the
same) but I haven't gotten past the outline and introduction.  There will
be a chapter in the next edition of the BSD book, but that is a long way off
yet.

One place to start is:

%A A. Tevanian
%T Architecture-Independent Virtual Memory Management
	for Parallel and Distributed Environments: The Mach Approach
%I Department of Computer Science, Carnegie-Mellon University
%V CMU-CS-88-106
%D December 1987

Which describes the early Mach VM system from which the BSD system is
derived.  It will give you an overview of the basic data structures in the
machine independent and dependent levels.  I have never found an online
copy so you may have to order a paper copy.