---
id: smmap2
version: "3.0.1"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: abandoned
---

# smmap2 — A mirror package for smmap

License: unclear · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 512.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Smmap2 provides a wrapper around mmap that manages memory-mapped file access with automatic resource pooling. It tracks open file mappings and unloads unused ones using an LRU algorithm when the system runs low on file descriptors or memory, allowing applications to work with files larger than available address space—particularly useful on 32-bit systems. The package offers both a low-level native interface for performance-critical code and a higher-level Buffer interface that presents mapped regions as a string-like object.

However, this package is archived and abandoned as of 2020. Its entire history and ongoing maintenance have been consolidated into the GitPython repository. The description explicitly warns that file handles may leak due to reliance on deterministic __del__() destructors, and the package is read-only by design. New projects should use the maintained version within GitPython rather than this mirror.

Use it for:

- Processing very large files with random access patterns on memory-constrained or 32-bit systems
- Building tools that need to map portions of files without exhausting system file descriptors
- Legacy code that depends on smmap2 specifically and cannot migrate to the consolidated GitPython version

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Smmap2 is a mirror package that wraps memory-mapped file access with automatic resource management, allowing efficient random access to large files while staying within system limits by unloading unused mappings.

No. This package is abandoned and archived; its maintenance has moved to GitPython. The description warns of file-handle leaks, the license is unclear, and the last release was in 2020. Use the smmap module maintained within GitPython instead, or use the canonical smmap package if you need a standalone version.

## Install

pip install smmap2
uv add smmap2
poetry add smmap2

## Installing smmap2

Before you install: Installation is low-friction, but the package is abandoned as of 2020 and archived. The repository has been consolidated into GitPython; new code should use the maintained version there instead.

License in practice: License treatment is unclear—the description states New BSD License but the metadata contains no SPDX identifier or raw license text. Verify the actual license before relying on this package in proprietary or restricted contexts.

Quickstart:

pip install smmap2

from smmap import SlidingWindowMapManager
mgr = SlidingWindowMapManager(filename)

Requires Python 3.7+. The package relies on deterministic __del__() destructors, which can leak file handles in some contexts.

Verify before relying:

- Whether smmap2 is a true mirror or a separate fork, and if it receives any maintenance distinct from the canonical smmap in GitPython
- Current status of file-handle leaks mentioned in the description and whether they have been addressed
- Whether the package works correctly on modern Python versions beyond 3.7

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 512.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

memory mapped file access, large file random access, mmap resource management, file descriptor pooling, automatic memory mapping, archived, memory-mapping, deprecated

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/smmap2) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/smmap2/)