atomic_sub_return_release(9)

🌸 atomic_sub_return_release(9) — the "subtract and tell me what's left" atomic, but make it release-y 💅

okay bestie so you're in the Kernel API Manual and you found the page for atomic_sub_return_release. literally the moment you subtract a number from an atomic and you also want to know what it became, with release ordering on top. chef's kiss. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

atomic_sub_return_release — atomic subtract with release ordering 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int atomic_sub_return_release (int i , atomic_t *v );

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✨ ARGUMENTS ✨

• i — the int value to subtract. that's the lil guy getting taken away 💜
• v — pointer to atomic_t. the main character being updated, no cap 👑

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so the whole vibe: it atomically updates v to (v - i) with release ordering. ✨ atomically means nobody can catch it mid-subtract and get some cursed in-between value — it's giving all-or-nothing energy, fr fr. and release ordering is baked in, iykyk.

⚠️ lowkey important: this is Unsafe to use in noinstr code — use raw_atomic_sub_return_release there instead. like, that's not a suggestion bestie, that's the rule 😭 🙈

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✨ RETURN ✨

the updated value of v — as in, the result after the subtraction 🫶 so you don't have to go read it back, it just tells you. iconic behavior honestly 💅

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✨ SEE ALSO ✨

big ol' family reunion 🌈 — the kernel file is ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h, and here's the whole crew:

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_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 atomic64_* icons 🔥

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)

the atomic_long_* legends 🧚

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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💀 real talk: that SEE ALSO list is long, but every single one of those is a separate page and they're all real, so go read them, bestie. ate. no crumbs. 👑

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and that's the whole page!! 🎀 this one comes from ./include/linux/atomic, dated October 2026 — so like, remember it, cite it, and go subtract some stuff atomically. periodt. 💖✨🦋