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Learn about Android's migration from the ashmem (anonymous shared memory) allocator to the upstream Linux kernel's memfd facility in this 15-minute conference talk from the Linux Plumbers Conference. Discover how Android currently relies on ashmem to allocate anonymous buffers for fast inter-process sharing via file descriptors, built on top of Linux's shmem subsystem. Understand the key drawbacks of ashmem, including its status as Android-specific technical debt outside the upstream kernel and lack of upstream test coverage. Explore Android's strategic approach to seamlessly transition from ashmem to the similar but upstream-supported memfd facility. Examine the technical challenges and solutions involved in this migration, including maintaining backward compatibility with older applications and devices, and implementing SELinux support for fine-grained memfd access control. Gain insights into the forward-facing work required to complete this transition while preserving the fast memory sharing capabilities that Android applications depend on.
