binder_thread_dec_tmpref(9)

💖 binder_thread_dec_tmpref(9) — Kernel API Manual 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual page for binder_thread_dec_tmpref(9). this is the little function that decrements thread->tmp_ref, and yes it is exactly as iconic as it sounds 💅

✨ NAME ✨

binder_thread_dec_tmpref — decrement thread->tmp_ref 🎀

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

void binder_thread_dec_tmpref (struct binder_thread *thread );

💅 ARGUMENTS 💅

• thread — the thread to decrement. that’s the whole vibe 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so here’s the situation, bestie: a thread needs to be kept alive while it’s being used to create or handle a transaction. binder_get_txn_from is used to safely extract t->from from a binder_transaction and keep the thread indicated by t->from from being freed. no cap, that’s the safety bit ✨

when you’re done with that binder_thread, this function is called to decrement the tmp_ref and free if appropriate — and the “if appropriate” is highkey important: that means the thread has been released and no transaction is being processed by the driver. periodt 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the kernel file is ./drivers/android/binder.c, and the whole squad is right here:

• Kernel file ./drivers/android/binder.c
• binder_proc_lock(9)
• binder_proc_unlock(9)
• binder_inner_proc_lock(9)
• binder_inner_proc_unlock(9)
• binder_node_lock(9)
• binder_node_unlock(9)
• binder_node_inner_lock(9)
• binder_node_inner_unlock(9)
• binder_worklist_empty(9)
• binder_enqueue_work_ilocked(9)
• binder_enqueue_deferred_thread_work_ilocked(9)
• binder_enqueue_thread_work_ilocked(9)
• binder_enqueue_thread_work(9)
• binder_dequeue_work(9)
• binder_select_thread_ilocked(9)
• binder_wakeup_thread_ilocked(9)
• binder_inc_node_tmpref(9)
• binder_dec_node_tmpref(9)
• binder_get_ref_for_node_olocked(9)
• binder_inc_ref_olocked(9)
• binder_dec_ref_olocked(9)
• binder_get_node_from_ref(9)
• binder_free_ref(9)
• binder_update_ref_for_handle(9)
• binder_dec_ref_for_handle(9)
• binder_inc_ref_for_node(9)
• binder_proc_dec_tmpref(9)
• binder_get_txn_from(9)
• binder_get_txn_from_and_acq_inner(9)
• binder_free_txn_fixups(9)
• binder_cleanup_transaction(9)
• binder_get_object(9)
• binder_validate_ptr(9)
• binder_validate_fixup(9)
• struct binder_task_work_cb(9)
• binder_do_fd_close(9)
• binder_deferred_fd_close(9)
• struct binder_ptr_fixup(9)
• struct binder_sg_copy(9)
• binder_do_deferred_txn_copies(9)
• binder_cleanup_deferred_txn_lists(9)
• binder_defer_copy(9)
• binder_add_fixup(9)
• binder_can_update_transaction(9)
• binder_find_outdated_transaction_ilocked(9)
• binder_proc_transaction(9)
• binder_get_node_refs_for_txn(9)
• binder_netlink_report(9)
• binder_free_buf(9)
• binder_apply_fd_fixups(9)
• print_next_binder_node_ilocked(9)

— signed off from ./drivers/android, October 2026 🫶💖