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MUNMAP(2)                                  BSD System Calls Manual                                 MUNMAP(2)

NAME
     munmap -- remove a mapping

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/mman.h>

     int
     munmap(void *addr, size_t len);

DESCRIPTION
     The munmap() system call deletes the mappings for the specified address range, causing further refer-ences references
     ences to addresses within the range to generate invalid memory references.

DIRTY PAGE HANDLING
     How munmap() handles a dirty page, depends on what type of memory is being unmapped:

     [Anonymous]        If the memory is anonymous memory and if the last reference is going away, then the
                        contents are discarded by definition of anonymous memory.

     [System V Shared]  If the memory mapping was created using System V shared memory, then the contents
                        persist until the System V memory region is destroyed or the system is rebooted.

     [File mapping]     If the mapping maps data from a file (MAP_SHARED), then the memory will eventually
                        be written back to disk if it's dirty.  This will happen automatically at some point
                        in the future (implementation dependent).  Note: to force the memory to be written
                        back to the disk, use msync(2).

     If there are still other references to the memory when the munmap is done, then nothing is done to the
     memory itself and it may be swapped out if need be. The memory will continue to persist until the last
     reference goes away (except for System V shared memory in which case, see above).

RETURN VALUES
     Upon successful completion, munmap returns zero.  Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno is set
     to indicate the error.

ERRORS
     Munmap() will fail if:

     [EINVAL]           The addr parameter was not page aligned (i.e., a multiple of the page size).

     [EINVAL]           The len parameter was negative or zero.

     [EINVAL]           Some part of the region being unmapped is not part of the currently valid address
                        space.

LEGACY SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/types.h>
     #include <sys/mman.h>

     The include file <sys/types.h> is necessary.

     int
     munmap(caddr_t addr, size_t len);

     The type of addr has changed.

SEE ALSO
     getpagesize(3), msync(2), munmap(2), mprotect(2), madvise(2), mincore(2), compat(5)

HISTORY
     The munmap() function first appeared in 4.4BSD.

BSD                                           October 16, 2008                                           BSD