alarm_setitimer(9)

💅 alarm_setitimer

okay so bestie, this is the alarm_setitimer page from the Kernel API Manual — yes, the kernel API manual, and we're gonna make it make sense. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

alarm_setitimer — set alarm in seconds ⏰

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

unsigned int alarm_setitimer (unsigned int seconds );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• seconds — number of seconds until alarm; 0 disables the alarm. 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

It returns the remaining time in seconds of a pending timer, or 0 when the timer is not active. That's the whole return-vibe, no cap. 💖

On 32 bit machines the seconds value is limited to (INT_MAX/2) to avoid negative timeval settings which would cause immediate expiry. Important caveat, bestie: that limit is there so you don't get the instant-expiry chaos. 💀

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• Kernel file ./kernel/time/itimer.c
• itimer_get_remtime(9)

Sign-off time: this page is from ./kernel/time, dated October 2026, and it's all about alarm_setitimer(9). Slay, bye. 🌈👑💅