SYMMETRIC KEY CIPHER REQUEST HANDLE(9)

💅 Symmetric Key Cipher Request Handle 💅

okay so this one's from the Kernel API Manual, and it's genuinely such a sleeper hit — like everyone's out here obsessing over the big crypto calls and nobody's giving the request handle its flowers. but bestie, without this little icon the whole symmetric key cipher op literally cannot happen. so let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

skcipher_request — the handle that holds every pointer you need for a symmetric key cipher operation 🔑

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

So the skcipher_request data structure is like the main character's bag — it contains all the pointers to data required for the symmetric key cipher operation. every single one. no cap. 💅

What's in the bag, you ask? bestie, let me tell you:

• the cipher handle — and here's the cute part, the cipher handle can be used by multiple skcipher_request instances, she's popular 👑
• a pointer to plaintext and a pointer to ciphertext
• the asynchronous callback function
• etc. — yes the original literally says etc., and yes I'm keeping it, because that's what it says 🌸

ngl the way this works is genuinely elegant: skcipher_request acts as a handle to the skcipher_request_* API calls in a similar way as the skcipher handle does to the crypto_skcipher_* API calls. like, sibling energy. matched set. it's giving symmetry (pun intended, I'm not sorry) 💀✨

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Kernel file ./include/crypto/skcipher.h, plus the whole friend group right here — every single one of these:

• struct skcipher_request(9)
• struct skcipher_alg(9)
• struct lskcipher_alg(9)
• Symmetric Key Cipher API(9)
• crypto_alloc_skcipher(9)
• crypto_alloc_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_free_skcipher(9)
• crypto_free_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_has_skcipher(9)
• crypto_skcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqtfm(9)
• crypto_skcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_decrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_export(9)
• crypto_skcipher_import(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_decrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqsize(9)
• skcipher_request_set_tfm(9)
• skcipher_request_alloc(9)
• skcipher_request_free(9)
• skcipher_request_set_callback(9)
• skcipher_request_set_crypt(9)

like I said. the whole group chat. 💖

okay that's the page!! before I go — this one lives in ./include/crypto and it's dated October 2026, and it's filed under the lovely abbreviated title Symmetric K...quest Handle(9) in case you're searching for it. mwah, go read the rest of the crypto API, you're gonna slay 🌈💜