Memory reclamation under Linux(es) ?

Hullo, all,

After reading a review of Firefox 2.0 (which I already have installed),
it points out that Firefox already has problems with memory leaks.

So, I now have a few questions about the way the Linux kernel
manages memory.

1) Are there any (up-to-date) tracts on how 2.4 kernels manage
memory? (I know it is recommended everyone have a look
'under the hood' at the sources, but will that be enough?)

2)After a leaking application exits, is the memory reclaimed in
any way, other than releasing any 'locks'(?) the app had on it?
Or are memory leaks related to improper use/calling of mfree()
and derivatives?

3)Are there any user-space, third-party, or kernel extensions which
keep tabs on memory, akin to a garbage collector? I vaguely
remember this as a topic covered in a half-dozen or so
'brew your own OS' sites, but I never got that far with my own OS...

TIA,
Tarkin

.

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