cdev_set_parent(9)

💖 cdev_set_parent(9) 💖

okay so hii bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual ✨ today’s main character is cdev_set_parent, and it’s lowkey one of those tiny functions with big “please don’t free my parent too early” energy. no cap 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

cdev_set_parent — set the parent kobject for a char device 🦋

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void cdev_set_parent (struct cdev *p , struct kobject *kobj );

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• p — the cdev structure 👑
• kobj — the kobject to take a reference to 🌟

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So cdev_set_parent sets a parent kobject, and that parent gets referenced appropriately — meaning the parent is not freed before the cdev. periodt 💖 that’s the whole safety vibe: the parent stays properly referenced so it doesn’t dip out before the cdev is done with it.

bestie, this should be called before cdev_add. like, before-before. the ordering is literally the moment 💀✨

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./fs/char_dev.c is the spot, and the whole squad is right here:

• register_chrdev_region(9)
• alloc_chrdev_region(9)
• __register_chrdev(9)
• unregister_chrdev_region(9)
• __unregister_chrdev(9)
• cdev_add(9)
• cdev_device_add(9)
• cdev_device_del(9)
• cdev_del(9)
• cdev_alloc(9)
• cdev_init(9)

iykyk — read the squad, stay cozy in the kernel 🧚💜

mwah 💋 this lil page comes from source/version ./fs, and it’s dated October 2026 — catch you in the kernel, bestie 🫶💖