bitmap_find_next_zero_area(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

🎀 NAME 🎀

hii bestie 💖 welcome to the bitmap_find_next_zero_area(9) page from the Kernel API Manual — we're finding a contiguous aligned zero area together, and honestly? iconic behavior ✨

okay so the NAME is literally bitmap_find_next_zero_area — find a contiguous aligned zero area 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

unsigned long bitmap_find_next_zero_area (unsigned long *map , unsigned long size , unsigned long start , unsigned int nr , unsigned long align_mask );

that's the whole signature, no cap 💅

💅 ARGUMENTS 💅

  • map — the address to base the search on 🗺️ like, this is home base for the search, okay?
  • size — the bitmap size in bits 📏 that's how much bitmap we're working with.
  • start — the bitnumber to start searching at 👀 your starting point, bestie.
  • nr — the number of zeroed bits we're looking for 🔍 we want this many zero bits, periodt.
  • align_mask — alignment mask for zero area 🎯 this one's got alignment opinions, iykyk.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so the tea is: align_mask should be one less than a power of 2 🧚 the effect is that the bit offset of all zero areas this function finds is multiples of that power of 2. and an align_mask of 0 means no alignment is required — she's flexible, slay 💅✨

🌸 RETURN 🌸

you get the bit offset of the found area, or a value >= size if no area is found 😭 so if it's greater than or equal to size, that's the "no area found" vibe. no cap.

💖 SEE ALSO 💖

Kernel file ./include/linux/bitmap.h is right here, plus the whole bestie lineup — and yes, every single reference is included, I would never gatekeep 🫶

mwah 💋 this cutie came from ./include/linux, dated October 2026 — source/version and date mentioned, cute sign-off complete, periodt ✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from