atomic_dec_if_positive(9)

💅 atomic_dec_if_positive — the kernel API manual, but make it cute ✨

okay so this is the page for atomic_dec_if_positive(9) and honestly? she's an icon. she decrements only if the vibe is positive, and she does it atomically with full ordering. no cap. let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

atomic_dec_if_positive — atomic decrement if positive, with full ordering 💖

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int atomic_dec_if_positive (atomic_t *v );

that's it. that's the whole signature. short king 👑

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• v — pointer to atomic_t. yes bestie, a pointer, we're doing pointer things 🦋

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

okay so here's the tea ☕ — if (v > 0), this function atomically updates v to (v - 1) with full ordering. literally does the whole read-check-write thing without anyone else sneaking in between. slay.

otherwise — like if v isn't positive — v is not modified, and relaxed ordering is provided. so nothing happens to your number, and the fences loosen up. she stays chill 💅

⚠️ real talk though: this is unsafe to use in noinstr code. use raw_atomic_dec_if_positive there instead. like, do not come for her in noinstr context, she will not survive it 😭

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

the old value of (v - 1) — regardless of whether v was updated. so you get an answer either way, which is giving reliable bestie energy 🌈

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

so many siblings, it's giving huge family reunion 🎉 — they all live in the kernel file ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h:

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)

and the 64-bit girlies 🧚 — 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_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 long-distance cousins 🦋 — 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 page!! 🎀 tysm for reading, mwah 💋

this whole thing ships from the kernel source file ./include/linux/atomic, dated October 2026 — so like, mark your calendar bestie, and go atomically decrement something responsibly 🌸💜