[RFC v2 PATCH] reserve_mem: add support for static memory

From: Shyam Saini

Date: Fri Jun 19 2026 - 02:23:50 EST


reserve_mem relies on dynamic memory allocation, this limits the
usecase where memory is required to be preserved across the boots.
Eg: ramoops memory reservation on ACPI platforms

So add support to pass a pre-determined static address and reserve
memory at a specified location. This enables use case like ramoops
on ACPI platforms to reliably access ramoops region with previous
boot logs.

Also skip the parsing of <align> when static address is passed.

Example syntax for static address
reserve_mem=4M@0x1E0000000:oops

Signed-off-by: Shyam Saini <shyamsaini@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/0eaf3be2-5121-48b7-aeed-196405c0a480@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
v2: Fix code logic and incorporate Randy's suggestion
---
.../admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt | 15 ++++++
mm/memblock.c | 47 +++++++++++++------
2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
index b5493a7f8f228..7e0baca564b97 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -6563,6 +6563,21 @@ Kernel parameters

reserve_mem=12M:4096:oops ramoops.mem_name=oops

+ reserve_mem= [RAM]
+ Format: nn[KMG]:<@offset>:<label>
+ Reserve physical memory at predetermined location and label it with
+ a name that other subsystems can use to access it. This is typically
+ used for systems that do not wipe the RAM, and this command
+ line will try to reserve the same physical memory on
+ soft reboots. Note, it is guaranteed to be the same
+ location unless some other early allocation, e.g.: crashkernel=256M
+ (without static address) is reserved or overlaps this region.
+
+ The format is size:offset:label for example, to request
+ 4 megabytes for ramoops at 0x1E0000000:
+
+ reserve_mem=4M@0x1E0000000:oops ramoops.mem_name=oops
+
reservetop= [X86-32,EARLY]
Format: nn[KMG]
Reserves a hole at the top of the kernel virtual
diff --git a/mm/memblock.c b/mm/memblock.c
index 6349c48154f4b..c76cefa0a8a83 100644
--- a/mm/memblock.c
+++ b/mm/memblock.c
@@ -2721,6 +2721,7 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
char *name;
char *oldp;
int len;
+ bool addr_is_static = false;

if (!p)
goto err_param;
@@ -2736,19 +2737,27 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
if (!size || p == oldp)
goto err_param;

- if (*p != ':')
- goto err_param;
+ /* parse the static memory address */
+ if (*p == '@') {
+ start = memparse(p+1, &p);
+ addr_is_static = true;
+ }

- align = memparse(p+1, &p);
if (*p != ':')
goto err_param;

- /*
- * memblock_phys_alloc() doesn't like a zero size align,
- * but it is OK for this command to have it.
- */
- if (align < SMP_CACHE_BYTES)
- align = SMP_CACHE_BYTES;
+ if (!addr_is_static) {
+ align = memparse(p+1, &p);
+ if (*p != ':')
+ goto err_param;
+
+ /*
+ * memblock_phys_alloc() doesn't like a zero size align,
+ * but it is OK for this command to have it.
+ */
+ if (align < SMP_CACHE_BYTES)
+ align = SMP_CACHE_BYTES;
+ }

name = p + 1;
len = strlen(name);
@@ -2772,14 +2781,22 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
}

/* Pick previous allocations up from KHO if available */
- if (reserve_mem_kho_revive(name, size, align))
+ if (!addr_is_static && reserve_mem_kho_revive(name, size, align))
return 1;

- /* TODO: Allocation must be outside of scratch region */
- start = memblock_phys_alloc(size, align);
- if (!start) {
- pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock allocation failed\n");
- return -ENOMEM;
+ if (addr_is_static) {
+ if (memblock_reserve(start, size)) {
+ pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock reservation failed\n");
+ return -ENOMEM;
+ }
+
+ } else {
+ /* TODO: Allocation must be outside of scratch region */
+ start = memblock_phys_alloc(size, align);
+ if (!start) {
+ pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock allocation failed\n");
+ return -ENOMEM;
+ }
}

reserved_mem_add(start, size, name);
--
2.43.0