cifs_genl_init(9)

🌸 cifs_genl_init(9) — a Kernel API Manual moment 🌸

ok so we're in the kernel API manual, section 9, and today's main character is cifs_genl_init. buckle up bestie, this one's short but it matters 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

cifs_genl_init — literally just registering a generic netlink family. that's the whole vibe. no cap. 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int cifs_genl_init (void );

like, that's it. that's the function. she's small but she's iconic ✨

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💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• void — no arguments. nothing. zero. the void is voiding. she takes nothing and she's at peace with that 🫶

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🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

ok so the whole deal: this thing returns zero if it initialized successfully, otherwise it returns non-zero. that's the entire contract, fr fr.

so like — 0 = we slayed, we're initialized, we're so back. anything not-0 = it did not go well, and you should probably pay attention 😭 that's the whole return-value story, no extra lore, don't @ me.

ngl the "non-zero" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here — it's just "not success," the docs aren't telling you which non-zero, so don't go inventing meanings. check the source if you need the deets 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• the kernel file ./fs/smb/client/netlink.c — go read it, it's giving source of truth 💜
• cifs_genl_exit(9) — the counterpart, the cleanup era, the "we're so done here" energy 🧚

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and that's the page!! mwah 💋 this lil guy lives in ./fs/smb/client, dated October 2026, and yes the header/footer said cifs_genl_init(9) three whole times because the kernel really said "consistency is key" ⭐ bye bestie, go init some netlink families 🦋💖