anon_inode_getfile(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 anon_inode_getfile(9) 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual entry for anon_inode_getfile — no cap, this one is a little baddie of a function and it's about to make ur whole file-setup situation iconic 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

anon_inode_getfile — creates a new file instance by hooking it up to an anonymous inode, and a dentry that describe the "class" of the file 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct file * anon_inode_getfile (const char *name , const struct
       file_operations *fops , void *priv , int flags );

like. literally that's the whole vibe check right there 💅

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

  • name [in] — the name of the "class" of the new file ✨ it's giving label energy
  • fops [in] — the file operations for the new file 🔥 this is where the behaviour lives
  • priv [in] — private data for the new file, and yes, this will be the file's private_data 💜 (not me pointing out the obvious)
  • flags [in] — flags 🫶 just. flags. iconic, honestly

💀 DESCRIPTION 💀

So here's the tea ☕: this function creates a new file by hooking it on a single inode. That's the whole moment.

It's useful for files that do not need to have a full-fledged inode in order to operate correctly — like, some files are just out here living their lives and they do NOT need the whole entire inode situation, yk? 🙈

And here's the slay: all the files created with anon_inode_getfile will share a single inode. Every single one. Same inode. Besties fr fr 💖 which means it's saving memory and avoiding code duplication for the file/inode/dentry setup. Efficiency queen 👑

It returns the newly created file* or an error pointer. so like. check ur return value, bestie, i'm begging 😭

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read the whole friend group, they're all in their anon_inode era ⭐

🧚 reminder bestie: no invented behaviour, no guessing at the vibes — everything above is straight from the source, i just made it cute 💅

and that's the page!! mwah 🫶 this came out of ./fs, dated October 2026, in the Kernel API Manual — ok bye, go call the function, i believe in u 👑💖

📦 where this page comes from