caam_drv_ctx_init(9)

💖 caam_drv_ctx_init(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition ✨

okay so you found your way into the CAAM/QI corner of the kernel, and honestly? iconic of you. this is caam_drv_ctx_init from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the lil function that makes your driver context exist. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

caam_drv_ctx_init — Initialise a CAAM/QI driver context 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct caam_drv_ctx * caam_drv_ctx_init (struct device *qidev , int *cpu
, u32 *sh_desc );

that's the whole shape of it, no cap. three args, one pointer back to a struct caam_drv_ctx 💅

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💜 ARGUMENTS 💜

• qidev — honestly? undescribed 🙈 the original says -- undescribed -- and we are not out here making things up, so that's the tea.
• cpu — this is the CPU where the application prefers that the driver receive CAAM responses. the request completion callback would be issued from this CPU, so yeah, it matters.
• sh_desc — the shared descriptor pointer that gets attached to the CAAM/QI driver context. it's giving "your descriptor's plus-one" 🫶

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so here's the vibe: a CAAM/QI driver context must be attached to each cryptographic context. not optional, not a suggestion, it's required, periodt.

this function allocates the memory for the CAAM/QI context and hands a handle back to the application. and that handle? you have to submit it along with each enqueue request to the driver from the application. every single one. no skipping 💀

on success you get a driver context back. on failure you get a negative error code — so like, check it, bestie 😭

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./drivers/crypto/caam/qi.h
• caam_qi_enqueue(9)
• caam_drv_ctx_busy(9)
• caam_drv_ctx_update(9)
• caam_drv_ctx_rel(9)
• qi_cache_alloc(9)
• qi_cache_free(9)

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lowkey the whole friend group lives in ./drivers/crypto/caam/qi.h, so go say hi 💖

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sign-off era 🧚: this page lives in the tree at ./drivers/crypto/caam, dated October 2026 — and it's caam_drv_ctx_init(9) all the way down, mwah 💋✨