atomic64_add_unless(9)

💅 atomic64_add_unless — the manual page bestie

okay so this is atomic64_add_unless(9), from the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? she's a baddie. selective, atomic, and full-ordering when she feels like it. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

atomic64_add_unless — do an atomic add unless the value matches something, with full ordering. it's giving conditional slay 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

bool atomic64_add_unless (atomic64_t *v , s64 a , s64 u );

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• v — pointer to atomic64_t. yes she's a pointer, treat her with respect 🫶
• a — s64 value to add. the little number going in ➕
• u — s64 value to compare with. the gatekeeper, the vibe check 🔥

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

okay so the whole plot: if (v != u), it atomically updates v to (v + a) and does it with full ordering. so not only does it change the value, it also makes sure the memory ordering is fully correct. no cap ✨

otherwise — meaning v does equal u — v is not modified at all, and relaxed ordering is provided instead. so nobody gets touched, and the ordering gets chill 💅

🚨 real talk though: this is unsafe to use in noinstr code — for that situation you use raw_atomic64_add_unless there instead. don't come for me, that's literally what it says 😭

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👑 RETURN 👑

• true — yay, v was updated 🎉
• false — nope, v was left alone 🙈

literally just that. booleans ate.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

okay this list is long long, so buckle up bestie — the kernel file it comes from is ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h. here's the entire friend group, in order, no one left out 🫶

the atomic_* girlies:

atomic_read(9), atomic_read_acquire(9), atomic_set(9), atomic_set_release(9), atomic_add(9), atomic_add_return(9), atomic_add_return_acquire(9), atomic_add_return_release(9), atomic_add_return_relaxed(9), atomic_fetch_add(9), atomic_fetch_add_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_add_release(9), atomic_fetch_add_relaxed(9), atomic_sub(9), atomic_sub_return(9), atomic_sub_return_acquire(9), atomic_sub_return_release(9), atomic_sub_return_relaxed(9), atomic_fetch_sub(9), atomic_fetch_sub_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_sub_release(9), atomic_fetch_sub_relaxed(9), atomic_inc(9), atomic_inc_return(9), atomic_inc_return_acquire(9), atomic_inc_return_release(9), atomic_inc_return_relaxed(9), atomic_fetch_inc(9), atomic_fetch_inc_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_inc_release(9), atomic_fetch_inc_relaxed(9), atomic_dec(9), atomic_dec_return(9), atomic_dec_return_acquire(9), atomic_dec_return_release(9), atomic_dec_return_relaxed(9), atomic_fetch_dec(9), atomic_fetch_dec_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_dec_release(9), atomic_fetch_dec_relaxed(9), atomic_and(9), atomic_fetch_and(9), atomic_fetch_and_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_and_release(9), atomic_fetch_and_relaxed(9), atomic_andnot(9), atomic_fetch_andnot(9), atomic_fetch_andnot_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_andnot_release(9), atomic_fetch_andnot_relaxed(9), atomic_or(9), atomic_fetch_or(9), atomic_fetch_or_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_or_release(9), atomic_fetch_or_relaxed(9), atomic_xor(9), atomic_fetch_xor(9), atomic_fetch_xor_acquire(9), atomic_fetch_xor_release(9), atomic_fetch_xor_relaxed(9), atomic_xchg(9), atomic_xchg_acquire(9), atomic_xchg_release(9), atomic_xchg_relaxed(9), atomic_cmpxchg(9), atomic_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic_try_cmpxchg(9), atomic_try_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic_try_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic_try_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic_sub_and_test(9), atomic_dec_and_test(9), atomic_inc_and_test(9), atomic_add_negative(9), atomic_add_negative_acquire(9), atomic_add_negative_release(9), atomic_add_negative_relaxed(9), atomic_fetch_add_unless(9), atomic_add_unless(9), atomic_inc_not_zero(9), atomic_inc_unless_negative(9), atomic_dec_unless_positive(9), atomic_dec_if_positive(9)

the 64-bit cousins (aka her direct family 💖):

atomic64_read(9), atomic64_read_acquire(9), atomic64_set(9), atomic64_set_release(9), atomic64_add(9), atomic64_add_return(9), atomic64_add_return_acquire(9), atomic64_add_return_release(9), atomic64_add_return_relaxed(9), atomic64_fetch_add(9), atomic64_fetch_add_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_add_release(9), atomic64_fetch_add_relaxed(9), atomic64_sub(9), atomic64_sub_return(9), atomic64_sub_return_acquire(9), atomic64_sub_return_release(9), atomic64_sub_return_relaxed(9), atomic64_fetch_sub(9), atomic64_fetch_sub_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_sub_release(9), atomic64_fetch_sub_relaxed(9), atomic64_inc(9), atomic64_inc_return(9), atomic64_inc_return_acquire(9), atomic64_inc_return_release(9), atomic64_inc_return_relaxed(9), atomic64_fetch_inc(9), atomic64_fetch_inc_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_inc_release(9), atomic64_fetch_inc_relaxed(9), atomic64_dec(9), atomic64_dec_return(9), atomic64_dec_return_acquire(9), atomic64_dec_return_release(9), atomic64_dec_return_relaxed(9), atomic64_fetch_dec(9), atomic64_fetch_dec_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_dec_release(9), atomic64_fetch_dec_relaxed(9), atomic64_and(9), atomic64_fetch_and(9), atomic64_fetch_and_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_and_release(9), atomic64_fetch_and_relaxed(9), atomic64_andnot(9), atomic64_fetch_andnot(9), atomic64_fetch_andnot_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_andnot_release(9), atomic64_fetch_andnot_relaxed(9), atomic64_or(9), atomic64_fetch_or(9), atomic64_fetch_or_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_or_release(9), atomic64_fetch_or_relaxed(9), atomic64_xor(9), atomic64_fetch_xor(9), atomic64_fetch_xor_acquire(9), atomic64_fetch_xor_release(9), atomic64_fetch_xor_relaxed(9), atomic64_xchg(9), atomic64_xchg_acquire(9), atomic64_xchg_release(9), atomic64_xchg_relaxed(9), atomic64_cmpxchg(9), atomic64_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic64_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic64_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic64_try_cmpxchg(9), atomic64_try_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic64_try_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic64_try_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic64_sub_and_test(9), atomic64_dec_and_test(9), atomic64_inc_and_test(9), atomic64_add_negative(9), atomic64_add_negative_acquire(9), atomic64_add_negative_release(9), atomic64_add_negative_relaxed(9), atomic64_fetch_add_unless(9), atomic64_inc_not_zero(9), atomic64_inc_unless_negative(9), atomic64_dec_unless_positive(9), atomic64_dec_if_positive(9)

and the atomic_long_* crew (they're long, they're iconic 👑):

atomic_long_read(9), atomic_long_read_acquire(9), atomic_long_set(9), atomic_long_set_release(9), atomic_long_add(9), atomic_long_add_return(9), atomic_long_add_return_acquire(9), atomic_long_add_return_release(9), atomic_long_add_return_relaxed(9), atomic_long_fetch_add(9), atomic_long_fetch_add_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_add_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_add_relaxed(9), atomic_long_sub(9), atomic_long_sub_return(9), atomic_long_sub_return_acquire(9), atomic_long_sub_return_release(9), atomic_long_sub_return_relaxed(9), atomic_long_fetch_sub(9), atomic_long_fetch_sub_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_sub_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_sub_relaxed(9), atomic_long_inc(9), atomic_long_inc_return(9), atomic_long_inc_return_acquire(9), atomic_long_inc_return_release(9), atomic_long_inc_return_relaxed(9), atomic_long_fetch_inc(9), atomic_long_fetch_inc_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_inc_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_inc_relaxed(9), atomic_long_dec(9), atomic_long_dec_return(9), atomic_long_dec_return_acquire(9), atomic_long_dec_return_release(9), atomic_long_dec_return_relaxed(9), atomic_long_fetch_dec(9), atomic_long_fetch_dec_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_dec_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_dec_relaxed(9), atomic_long_and(9), atomic_long_fetch_and(9), atomic_long_fetch_and_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_and_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_and_relaxed(9), atomic_long_andnot(9), atomic_long_fetch_andnot(9), atomic_long_fetch_andnot_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_andnot_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_andnot_relaxed(9), atomic_long_or(9), atomic_long_fetch_or(9), atomic_long_fetch_or_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_or_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_or_relaxed(9), atomic_long_xor(9), atomic_long_fetch_xor(9), atomic_long_fetch_xor_acquire(9), atomic_long_fetch_xor_release(9), atomic_long_fetch_xor_relaxed(9), atomic_long_xchg(9), atomic_long_xchg_acquire(9), atomic_long_xchg_release(9), atomic_long_xchg_relaxed(9), atomic_long_cmpxchg(9), atomic_long_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic_long_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic_long_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic_long_try_cmpxchg(9), atomic_long_try_cmpxchg_acquire(9), atomic_long_try_cmpxchg_release(9), atomic_long_try_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), atomic_long_sub_and_test(9), atomic_long_dec_and_test(9), atomic_long_inc_and_test(9), atomic_long_add_negative(9), atomic_long_add_negative_acquire(9), atomic_long_add_negative_release(9), atomic_long_add_negative_relaxed(9), atomic_long_fetch_add_unless(9), atomic_long_add_unless(9), atomic_long_inc_not_zero(9), atomic_long_inc_unless_negative(9), atomic_long_dec_unless_positive(9), atomic_long_dec_if_positive(9)

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and that's the whole page bestie, hope it ate 💖 remember: v != u → full ordering, v == u → relaxed and untouched, and stay out of noinstr code unless you're using raw_atomic64_add_unless 🧚

🎀 cute lil sign-off: this page lives in the kernel source at ./include/linux/atomic, the manual is dated October 2026, and yes, it's filed under atomic64_add_unless(9) — periodt 💅✨