libnvme(9)

💖 libnvme(9) — API Manual 💖

okay bestie, so you're reading the manual page for libnvme, the NVMe library, and this specific little corner of it is all about struct nvme_copy_args — literally the arguments for the NVMe Copy command. no cap. it's giving "here's everything you need to hand the kernel so it can copy a bunch of blocks from one place to another" and honestly? iconic. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

struct nvme_copy_args — Arguments for the NVMe Copy command 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct nvme_copy_args {
    __u64 sdlba;
    __u32 *result;
    struct nvme_copy_range *copy;
    int args_size;
    int fd;
    __u32 timeout;
    __u32 nsid;
    __u32 ilbrt;
    int lr;
    int fua;
    __u16 nr;
    __u16 dspec;
    __u16 lbatm;
    __u16 lbat;
    __u8 prinfor;
    __u8 prinfow;
    __u8 dtype;
    __u8 format;
    __u64 ilbrt_u64;
 };

like, that's the whole shape of it. every field, exactly as it lives in memory. don't touch the layout, she's perfect as she is. 💅

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👑 Members 👑

okay so let's go field by field because every single one of these matters, fr fr:

• sdlba — Start destination LBA. this is where the copy lands, bestie. the destination logical block address. 🎯
• result — The command completion result from CQE dword0. yep, the juicy little answer the hardware hands back in that completion queue entry. 👀
• copy — Range description. this is the pointer to your struct nvme_copy_range (or array of them) telling the command what to actually copy. 📋
• args_size — Size of struct nvme_copy_args. yes she's self-aware, she knows how big she is. 🌈
• fd — File descriptor of the nvme device. your ticket to the party, the handle to the actual device. 🔑
• timeout — Timeout in ms. how long you're willing to wait before you're like "okay this is taking forever." ⏳
• nsid — Namespace identifier. which namespace we're talking to, obviously. 🗂️
• ilbrt — Initial logical block reference tag. protection info girlies know. 🏷️
• lr — Limited retry. the "please try again but like, don't go crazy" flag. 🔁
• fua — Force unit access. no caching games, write it for real. 💾
• nr — Number of ranges. how many copy ranges you're throwing at this thing. 🔢
• dspec — Directive specific value. directive-flavored detail, yk. 📝
• lbatm — Logical block application tag mask. mask moment. 🎭
• lbat — Logical block application tag. the tag itself, the mask's other half. ✨
• prinfor — Protection information field for read. 📖
• prinfow — Protection information field for write. ✍️
• dtype — Directive type. which flavor of directive, thank you very much. 🧁
• format — Descriptor format. the format of the descriptor, shocking nobody. 📐
• ilbrt_u64 — Initial logical block reference tag — 8 byte version required for enhanced protection info. yes it's a second, bigger ilbrt, and yes you need it when enhanced protection info is in the building. no you can't skip it. 😤

lowkey important: this is a struct, so the field order and the exact types are the whole point. __u64 is not __u32, int is not __u8, and format is not dtype. read the list, bestie. 👑

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and that's the whole page, no crumbs left behind 🍓

signing off with the deets so you always know where this came from: this is struct nvme_copy_args from the libnvme API Manual, page libnvme(9), dated August 2026. go copy some blocks, you absolute main character. 💖✨🦋