atomic64_sub_return_release(9)

🎀 atomic64_sub_return_release(9) 🎀

okay so bestie, you found yourself a page from the Kernel API Manual, and the star of the show is atomic64_sub_return_release — a whole 64-bit atomic vibe. let's get into it 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

atomic64_sub_return_release — atomic subtract, but make it release ordering 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

s64 atomic64_sub_return_release (s64 i , atomic64_t *v );

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💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• i — an s64, aka the value you're subtracting. that's the number going bye bye ✂️
• v — a pointer to atomic64_t. this is the thing getting updated, the main character of the operation 👑

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🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So what does it actually do? it atomically updates v to (v - i) with release ordering. atomically means nobody can catch it halfway through — it's all or nothing, no messy in-between state, periodt 💅

⚠️ Unsafe to use in noinstr code; use raw_atomic64_sub_return_release there. like genuinely do not, i'm begging 😭 the raw_ version is the one that's allowed in noinstr code.

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

It gives you back the updated value of v — so you get the after picture, not the before one 🫶

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

the source file is ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h, and bestie the friend group is massive — here's literally every single one:

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), 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_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_add_unless(9),
atomic64_inc_not_zero(9), atomic64_inc_unless_negative(9),
atomic64_dec_unless_positive(9), atomic64_dec_if_positive(9),
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)

like… that's the whole friend group, and honestly? iconic 👑 you're welcome for the roll call 🫶

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that's the whole page bestie — and huge shoutout to the source file ./include/linux/atomic and the October 2026 version of this page, mwah 💋 don't forget: release ordering, raw_ in noinstr, and no subtractions without atomicity. slay 🧚💜