__kfree_skb(9)

💅 __kfree_skb — private function

okay so this page is from the Kernel API Manual bestie, and the vibe is: internal-only, do not touch, iykyk ✨

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void __kfree_skb (struct sk_buff *skb );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• skb — the buffer, babe. That's it, that's the whole argument 🦋

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So what does it do? It frees an sk_buff. Like, releases anything attached to the buffer, and cleans the state. Full glow-up-and-leave, no crumbs left behind 💅

But — and I need you to hear me on this — it's an internal helper function. It is not main character energy for you to be calling directly. Users should always call kfree_skb instead. Periodt. 🙈

ngl this is one of those "the function is iconic but she's not for public consumption" situations 🫶

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./net/core/skbuff.c — and literally the entire skb extended universe, in order, no skips:

• drop_reasons_register_subsys(9)
• drop_reasons_unregister_subsys(9)
• skb_panic(9)
• napi_skb_cache_get_bulk(9)
• __build_skb(9)
• build_skb_around(9)
• __napi_build_skb(9)
• napi_build_skb(9)
• __alloc_skb(9)
• __netdev_alloc_skb(9)
• napi_alloc_skb(9)
• skb_pp_cow_data(9)
• skb_pp_frag_ref(9)
• sk_skb_reason_drop(9)
• skb_tx_error(9)
• consume_skb(9)
• __consume_stateless_skb(9)
• napi_consume_skb(9)
• alloc_skb_for_msg(9)
• skb_morph(9)
• skb_copy_ubufs(9)
• skb_clone(9)
• skb_copy(9)
• __pskb_copy_fclone(9)
• pskb_expand_head(9)
• skb_expand_head(9)
• skb_copy_expand(9)
• __skb_pad(9)
• pskb_put(9)
• skb_put(9)
• skb_push(9)
• skb_pull(9)
• skb_pull_data(9)
• skb_trim(9)
• __pskb_pull_tail(9)
• skb_copy_bits(9)
• skb_store_bits(9)
• skb_zerocopy(9)
• skb_dequeue(9)
• skb_dequeue_tail(9)
• skb_queue_purge_reason(9)
• skb_rbtree_purge(9)
• skb_queue_head(9)
• skb_queue_tail(9)
• skb_unlink(9)
• skb_append(9)
• skb_split(9)
• skb_shift(9)
• skb_prepare_seq_read(9)
• skb_seq_read(9)
• skb_abort_seq_read(9)
• skb_copy_seq_read(9)
• skb_find_text(9)
• skb_pull_rcsum(9)
• skb_segment(9)
• skb_to_sgvec(9)
• skb_cow_data(9)
• skb_clone_sk(9)
• skb_partial_csum_set(9)
• skb_checksum_setup(9)
• skb_checksum_maybe_trim(9)
• skb_checksum_trimmed(9)
• skb_try_coalesce(9)
• skb_scrub_packet(9)
• skb_eth_pop(9)
• skb_eth_push(9)
• skb_mpls_push(9)
• skb_mpls_pop(9)
• skb_mpls_update_lse(9)
• skb_mpls_dec_ttl(9)
• alloc_skb_with_frags(9)
• skb_condense(9)
• __skb_ext_alloc(9)
• __skb_ext_set(9)
• skb_ext_add(9)
• skb_attempt_defer_free(9)
• skb_splice_from_iter(9)

That's the whole friend group, no cap 💀

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kay bye besties, this page came out of ./net/core, dated October 2026, and it's the __kfree_skb(9) manual — mwah, slay, go call kfree_skb instead 🧚‍♀️🌷