AUDIT_RESET_..._TIME_ACTUAL(3)

💖 AUDIT_RESET_..._TIME_ACTUAL 💖

okay bestie, so this is a page from the Linux Audit API section 3 — yes, the AUDIT_RESET_..._TIME_ACTUAL(3) one. buckle up, it's short but it's important 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

audit_reset_backlog_wait_time_actual</p> — reset backlog wait time actual counter. that's it, that's the whole job, and she does it flawlessly 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <libaudit.h>

int audit_reset_backlog_wait_time_actual(int fd);

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so what does audit_reset_backlog_wait_time_actual() actually do? it resets the kernel's running total of how long system calls have been waiting around for space in the audit event queue. like, the counter goes back to zero. fresh start energy ✨

the fd you pass in? it must be an open audit netlink socket. no exceptions, no vibes-based workarounds, it's giving "correct file descriptor or nothing" 🙈

this call is useful when administrators enable backlog waiting via the audit_set_backlog_wait_time(3) option — that's the whole point of it, preserving events when memory gets tight and things are lowkey stressful in the kernel 😭

and the move here? periodically clearing the counter lets you detect renewed backlog waiting after you change the queue size or the wait time. so like, you reset it, you watch it, and you catch the backlog waiting happening all over again. detective work, but make it syscalls 🔍

⚠️ heads up bestie: the kernel must support the AUDIT_STATUS_BACKLOG_WAIT_TIME_ACTUAL field for this call to succeed. if it doesn't, this is not gonna slay, it's just gonna fail. no cap.

👑 RETURN VALUE 👑

the return value is <= 0 on error. otherwise? it's the netlink sequence id number 🌈 periodt.

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• audit_set_backlog_wait_time(3)
• audit_open(3)
• auditctl(8)

🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

Steve Grubb — the icon, the legend, the main character who wrote this 🫶

and that's the whole page bestie!! this little cutie comes to you from Red Hat, dated July 2025, filed right back under AUDIT_RESET_..._TIME_ACTUAL(3) like the queen she is. go reset some counters, drink water, ily 💖✨