__next_ns(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 __next_ns(9) — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense

okay bestie, welcome to the <pink>__next_ns</pink> page from the Kernel API Manual ✨ this one lives in the AppArmor corner of the kernel and it's literally just "find the next namespace to list" 🎀 that's the whole NAME section, we ate 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct aa_ns * __next_ns (struct aa_ns *root , struct aa_ns *ns );

that's it, that's the whole vibe check 🦋 two pointers in, one pointer out, no cap.

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • root — the root namespace where the search stops 🛑 it is NOT NULL, so do not come in here with a null, bestie, that's not the move 🙈
  • ns — your current ns position, like where you're standing right now 📍 also NOT NULL. same energy. no nulls allowed, periodt.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the way this works is: it finds the next namespace after ns, but only the ones hanging out under root — and it handles all the locking needed while it switches the current namespace 🔐 like it does the whole lock choreography for you so you don't have to, which is honestly iconic of it 👑

🌈 RETURN 🌈

you get the next namespace back 🎉 or NULL if you're already at the last namespace under root — that's the "no more, we're done here" signal 💀

and the requirement, fr fr: ns->parent->lock has to be held. that's not optional, that's the whole deal 🫶

⭐ NOTE ⭐

heads up, bestie: it will not unlock root->lock 🚨 so don't go thinking it'll clean that up for you — that lock is yours to deal with, iykyk 😭

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

kernel file ./security/apparmor/apparmorfs.c 💜 and the whole friend group:

that's the page, babe 🎀 this came out of ./security/apparmor, dated October 2026, and it's filed under __next_ns(9) — go forth and iterate your namespaces responsibly 💅✨🔥

📦 where this page comes from