apm_bios_call(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💫 apm_bios_call 💫

okay so real talk, this one's from the Kernel API Manual (yes, that Kernel API Manual) and it's basically the group-chat announcement of APM BIOS calls. let's get into it bestie 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

apm_bios_call — make an APM BIOS 32bit call (on CPU 0) 💅

like, specifically CPU 0. don't be weird about it.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int apm_bios_call (struct apm_bios_call *call );

that's it. that's the whole vibe. one function, one pointer, iconic behaviour 🫶

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • call — the apm_bios_call registers. that's the whole thing you're handing over. it's giving "here's my whole personality in a struct" energy 😭

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so here's the tea: if there is an error, it gets returned in call.err. that's it. that's the lore. the error doesn't come back as some dramatic return value situation — it slides into call.err like it owns the place 🌈

no cap, that's the entire documented behaviour. some functions are 40 paragraphs of chaos, and then there's apm_bios_call just being lowkey and mysterious about it 🙈

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

bestie, buckle up, because this list is long and honestly kind of iconic 👑

Kernel file ./arch/x86/kernel/apm_32.c, plus the whole extended family:

like, the whole friend group showed up. __apm_bios_call_simple and apm_bios_call_simple both being here is giving siblings that insist they're different people, and honestly? respect 💀

⭐ little reminder from your girl: apm_bios_call lives over in the kernel file ./arch/x86/kernel/apm_32.c, so if you're going looking for it, that's the address. iykyk.

and that's the page!! mwah 💜 written from ./arch/x86/kernel, dated October 2026. go forth and make your 32bit APM BIOS calls on CPU 0, bestie — slay 🧚‍♀️✨

📦 where this page comes from