BUF_TIMELOCK(9)

📦 version 15.1, in freebsd 14.5, freebsd 15.1, nixpkgs unstable

💅 BUF_TIMELOCK 💅

Okay bestie, pull up a chair, because this is a kernel-developer-manual moment and we're doing it together. This page lives in section 9 of the manual (that's the kernel-functions section, iykyk), and it's literally all about locking a buffer — with a timeout, because we are not about to sleep forever waiting for someone. ⏰✨

✨ NAME ✨

BUF_TIMELOCK — locks a buffer 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

Including these headers first, no skipping, they're the whole vibe:

#include <sys/param.h>
#include <sys/systm.h>
#include <sys/uio.h>
#include <sys/bio.h>
#include <sys/buf.h>

And here's the function signature, exactly as written, keep it in your notes:

int
BUF_TIMELOCK(struct buf *bp, int locktype, char *wmesg, int catch,
    int timo);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So BUF_TIMELOCK() locks the given buffer — but here's the main character detail: it limits how long it'll sleep while doing that. The max snooze time is timo, and it OR's catch into the sleep's priority. And wmesg — that's the wmesg used in the sleep. (Yes, wmesg is literally in its own description. Iconic, honestly. 💅)

Here are its arguments, one by one, so nobody gets left on read:

  • bp — the buffer you're trying to lock. That's the one. 🎯
  • locktype — flags controlling the type of lock. Head over to lockmgr(9) for the full deets on those.
  • wmesg — the wmesg used in any sleeps while it's out here acquiring the lock. 😴
  • catch — a priority that gets OR'd into the sleep's priority.
  • timo — the timeout for any sleeps that happen during the lock. Your "I'm not waiting around forever" number. ⏳

🔥 RETURN VALUES 🔥

You get a 0 back on success. Slay. 🎉

As for the non-zero return values? The page says see lockmgr(9) for details on those — so that's your next read, bestie, I don't make the rules. 📚

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

The whole friend group, go say hi:

👑 AUTHORS 👑

This manual page was written by Chad David <davidc@acns.ab.ca>. Credit given where credit is due, periodt. 💖

Ngl, this one's short but it ate. Lock your buffers, respect the timo, and don't sleep on the lockmgr(9) page. 🧚

And that's the whole thing, bestie — this was the Debian flavour of the page, dated July 9, 2001. Ancient, but the vibes are eternal. 🍓✨💜

📦 where this page comes from