cik_sdma_start(9)

💅 cik_sdma_start — the Kernel API Manual moment

okay so bestie, we're in the Kernel API Manual today and the star of the show is cik_sdma_start, which is literally the function that sets up and starts the async dma engines. yes, that's the whole vibe. 🦋

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✨ NAME ✨

cik_sdma_start — setup and start the async dma engines 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int cik_sdma_start (struct amdgpu_device *adev );

that's it. that's the signature. no cap. ✨

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🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• adev — amdgpu_device pointer 💖 literally just a pointer to the amdgpu_device, iconic, no notes.

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so here's the tea: this one sets up the DMA engines and enables them (CIK). that's the whole job. she's a setup-and-enable girlie.

the way it returns 0 for success and error for failure — yeah. 0 means slay, anything else means 😭. periodt.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/cik_sdma.c 📁 (go read the source, iykyk)
• cik_sdma_init_microcode(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_get_rptr(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_get_wptr(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_set_wptr(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_emit_ib(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_emit_hdp_flush(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_emit_fence(9)
• cik_sdma_gfx_stop(9)
• cik_sdma_rlc_stop(9)
• cik_ctx_switch_enable(9)
• cik_sdma_enable(9)
• cik_sdma_gfx_resume(9)
• cik_sdma_rlc_resume(9)
• cik_sdma_load_microcode(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_test_ring(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_test_ib(9)
• cik_sdma_vm_copy_pte(9)
• cik_sdma_vm_write_pte(9)
• cik_sdma_vm_set_pte_pde(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_pad_ib(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_emit_pipeline_sync(9)
• cik_sdma_ring_emit_vm_flush(9)
• cik_sdma_emit_copy_buffer(9)
• cik_sdma_emit_fill_buffer(9)

like. that's a whole friend group right there. 💀💜

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anyway bestie, this page came to you from the source path ./drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu with the October 2026 date stamp on it — so if ur quoting her, that's the lore. mwah, bye! 💅