malloc returns memory or virtual address space

Question

Does malloc allocate a block of memory on the heap or should it be called Virtual Address Space?

Am I being picky calling it Virtual Address Space or this just the legac

Answer 1

Malloc allocates on the heap, which is a part of the virtual address space.

You are not being picky by calling it virtual address space, you are just being too general. It can be compared to saying, "You puke in the bathroom." Strictly speaking that is true but "You puke in the pot" is more precise because the former statement implies that you can puke in the sink or tub too.

Conceptually, malloc, the heap and virtual memory are supported by most operating systems including Dos and Linux.