capable(9)

💅 capable(9) — the Kernel API Manual, but make it bestie-core 💅

okay so this is the capable function from the kernel, and it’s giving “permission check, but make it boolean.” Her whole thing is checking whether the current task has a specific superior capability in effect. No cap, it’s just that. 💖

✨ NAME ✨

capable — determine if the current task has a superior capability in effect.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

bool capable (int cap );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• cap — the capability to be tested for. That’s it, that’s the argument, bestie.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay, so return true if the current task has the given superior capability currently available for use, and false if it doesn’t. Literally a vibe check for capability availability, but, y’know, in kernel form. 💅

Also: this sets PF_SUPERPRIV on the task if the capability is available, on the assumption that it’s about to be used. Like, it’s flagging the task because this capability is about to be the main character. 🔥

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

The kernel file is literally ./kernel/capability.c, and then there’s this whole friend group of capability-related pages:

• sys_capget(9)
• sys_capset(9)
• has_ns_capability(9)
• has_ns_capability_noaudit(9)
• has_capability_noaudit(9)
• ns_capable(9)
• ns_capable_noaudit(9)
• ns_capable_setid(9)
• capable_noaudit(9)
• file_ns_capable(9)
• privileged_wrt_inode_uidgid(9)
• capable_wrt_inode_uidgid(9)
• ptracer_capable(9)

bye bestie — source/version: ./kernel; date: October 2026; this page: capable(9). Mwah 💋✨