commit_creds(9)

💅 commit_creds — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

okay so you found commit_creds(9) in the Kernel API Manual and you're like "what does this even do" — don't worry, I got you ✨

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🎀 NAME 🎀

commit_creds — install new credentials upon the current task. like, it's literally the glow-up function for a task's creds 👑

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int commit_creds (struct cred *new );

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• new — the credentials to be assigned. the fresh fit, if you will 💖

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So what it does: it installs a new set of credentials onto the current task, using RCU to replace the old set. Both the objective and the subjective credential pointers get updated — yes, both, it's giving full-coverage 💅

⚠️ heads up bestie: this function may not be called if the subjective credentials are in an overridden state. that's a hard no, no cap.

Also important, and I need you to hear me on this: this function eats the caller's reference to the new credentials. like it consumes the reference. gone. devoured. 🍓 so don't go touching that reference after, mwah.

And the best part? It always returns 0. always. icon behaviour fr fr. which is exactly why it can be tail-called at the end of — say — sys_setgid. slay 🫶

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./kernel/cred.c — go read it, iykyk 🧚

• __put_cred(9)
• get_task_cred(9)
• prepare_creds(9)
• abort_creds(9)
• cred_fscmp(9)
• prepare_kernel_cred(9)
• set_security_override(9)
• set_create_files_as(9)

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okay that's the whole vibe 💜 this little love letter comes straight from ./kernel, dated October 2026, and it's filed under commit_creds(9) — periodt 🎀⭐