Virtual memory map with 4 level page tables: 0000000000000000 - 00007fffffffffff (=47 bits) user space, different per mm hole caused by [47:63] sign extension ffff800000000000 - ffff87ffffffffff (=43 bits) guard hole, reserved for hypervisor ffff880000000000 - ffffc7ffffffffff (=64 TB) direct mapping of all phys. memory ffffc80000000000 - ffffc8ffffffffff (=40 bits) hole ffffc90000000000 - ffffe8ffffffffff (=45 bits) vmalloc/ioremap space ffffe90000000000 - ffffe9ffffffffff (=40 bits) hole ffffea0000000000 - ffffeaffffffffff (=40 bits) virtual memory map (1TB) ... unused hole ... ffffec0000000000 - fffffbffffffffff (=44 bits) kasan shadow memory (16TB) ... unused hole ... vaddr_end for KASLR fffffe0000000000 - fffffe7fffffffff (=39 bits) cpu_entry_area mapping fffffe8000000000 - fffffeffffffffff (=39 bits) LDT remap for PTI ffffff0000000000 - ffffff7fffffffff (=39 bits) %esp fixup stacks ... unused hole ... ffffffef00000000 - fffffffeffffffff (=64 GB) EFI region mapping space ... unused hole ... ffffffff80000000 - ffffffff9fffffff (=512 MB) kernel text mapping, from phys 0 ffffffffa0000000 - [fixmap start] (~1526 MB) module mapping space (variable) [fixmap start] - ffffffffff5fffff kernel-internal fixmap range ffffffffff600000 - ffffffffff600fff (=4 kB) legacy vsyscall ABI ffffffffffe00000 - ffffffffffffffff (=2 MB) unused hole Virtual memory map with 5 level page tables: 0000000000000000 - 00ffffffffffffff (=56 bits) user space, different per mm hole caused by [56:63] sign extension ff00000000000000 - ff0fffffffffffff (=52 bits) guard hole, reserved for hypervisor ff10000000000000 - ff8fffffffffffff (=55 bits) direct mapping of all phys. memory ff90000000000000 - ff9fffffffffffff (=52 bits) LDT remap for PTI ffa0000000000000 - ffd1ffffffffffff (=54 bits) vmalloc/ioremap space (12800 TB) ffd2000000000000 - ffd3ffffffffffff (=49 bits) hole ffd4000000000000 - ffd5ffffffffffff (=49 bits) virtual memory map (512TB) ... unused hole ... ffdf000000000000 - fffffc0000000000 (=53 bits) kasan shadow memory (8PB) ... unused hole ... vaddr_end for KASLR fffffe0000000000 - fffffe7fffffffff (=39 bits) cpu_entry_area mapping ... unused hole ... ffffff0000000000 - ffffff7fffffffff (=39 bits) %esp fixup stacks ... unused hole ... ffffffef00000000 - fffffffeffffffff (=64 GB) EFI region mapping space ... unused hole ... ffffffff80000000 - ffffffff9fffffff (=512 MB) kernel text mapping, from phys 0 ffffffffa0000000 - fffffffffeffffff (1520 MB) module mapping space [fixmap start] - ffffffffff5fffff kernel-internal fixmap range ffffffffff600000 - ffffffffff600fff (=4 kB) legacy vsyscall ABI ffffffffffe00000 - ffffffffffffffff (=2 MB) unused hole Architecture defines a 64-bit virtual address. Implementations can support less. Currently supported are 48- and 57-bit virtual addresses. Bits 63 through to the most-significant implemented bit are sign extended. This causes hole between user space and kernel addresses if you interpret them as unsigned. The direct mapping covers all memory in the system up to the highest memory address (this means in some cases it can also include PCI memory holes). vmalloc space is lazily synchronized into the different PML4/PML5 pages of the processes using the page fault handler, with init_top_pgt as reference. We map EFI runtime services in the 'efi_pgd' PGD in a 64Gb large virtual memory window (this size is arbitrary, it can be raised later if needed). The mappings are not part of any other kernel PGD and are only available during EFI runtime calls. Note that if CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_MEMORY is enabled, the direct mapping of all physical memory, vmalloc/ioremap space and virtual memory map are randomized. Their order is preserved but their base will be offset early at boot time. Be very careful vs. KASLR when changing anything here. The KASLR address range must not overlap with anything except the KASAN shadow area, which is correct as KASAN disables KASLR.