bpf_key_put(9)

💅 bpf_key_put(9) — it's a Kernel API Manual page, bestie

okay so real talk: this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual (section 9, the kernel-functions girlies), and it's about bpf_key_put — the little cleanup gremlin that says bye-bye to a bpf_key for you. No cap, it's short, but it matters. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

bpf_key_put — decrement the reference count of the key if that key is valid, and then free the bpf_key itself. that's the whole job. iconic, lowkey.

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

__bpf_kfunc void bpf_key_put (struct bpf_key *bkey );

yes that's the entire signature, she's compact 💅 and yes, __bpf_kfunc is right there in front, don't forget it.

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• bkey — a bpf_key structure, aka the thing you're about to release. hand her over, she's done her shift.

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So here's the vibe check 👑: bpf_key_put decrements the reference count of the key living inside *bkey — but only if that pointer is valid. Then it frees *bkey.

like, if the pointer isn't valid, bestie, no reference count touching happens (obviously, you can't decrement a refcount on nothing 😭). but the *bkey* free still happens. that's the deal, fr fr — valid key = refcount goes down, then the struct gets freed. 💀➡️🫶

ngl, this is a release function — you call it when you're done with a key, not before. it's giving "cleanup era". 🧹✨

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

all the cousins, all the friends of the family. literally the whole group chat 🫶:

• Kernel file ./kernel/bpf/helpers.c
• bpf_obj_new(9)
• bpf_percpu_obj_new(9)
• bpf_obj_drop(9)
• bpf_percpu_obj_drop(9)
• bpf_refcount_acquire(9)
• bpf_list_push_front(9)
• bpf_list_push_back(9)
• bpf_rbtree_add(9)
• bpf_task_acquire(9)
• bpf_task_release(9)
• bpf_cgroup_acquire(9)
• bpf_cgroup_release(9)
• bpf_cgroup_ancestor(9)
• bpf_cgroup_from_id(9)
• bpf_task_under_cgroup(9)
• bpf_task_get_cgroup1(9)
• bpf_task_from_pid(9)
• bpf_task_from_vpid(9)
• bpf_dynptr_slice(9)
• bpf_dynptr_slice_rdwr(9)
• bpf_dynptr_copy(9)
• bpf_dynptr_memset(9)
• bpf_iter_bits_new(9)
• bpf_iter_bits_next(9)
• bpf_iter_bits_destroy(9)
• bpf_copy_from_user_str(9)
• bpf_copy_from_user_task_str(9)
• bpf_strcmp(9)
• bpf_strcasecmp(9)
• bpf_strnchr(9)
• bpf_strchr(9)
• bpf_strchrnul(9)
• bpf_strrchr(9)
• bpf_strnlen(9)
• bpf_strlen(9)
• bpf_strspn(9)
• bpf_strcspn(9)
• bpf_strstr(9)
• bpf_strcasestr(9)
• bpf_strnstr(9)
• bpf_strncasestr(9)
• bpf_lookup_user_key(9)
• bpf_lookup_system_key(9)
• bpf_verify_pkcs7_signature(9)
• bpf_task_work_schedule_signal(9)
• bpf_task_work_schedule_resume(9)
• bpf_timer_cancel_async(9)

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and that's the page!! 💖 huge slay to whoever maintains this one. she comes from ./kernel/bpf and the date on the tin is October 2026 — so like, future-coded of her 🌈⭐ go forth and free your bpf_keys responsibly, bestie. periodt. 💅🎀