crypto_akcipher_decrypt(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 crypto_akcipher_decrypt — bestie, it's decryption time

okay so real talk, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual and the star of the show is crypto_akcipher_decrypt(9). It's a kernel function, it decrypts stuff with a public key algorithm, and honestly? iconic. Let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

crypto_akcipher_decrypt — the one that kicks off the public key decrypt operation 💫

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int crypto_akcipher_decrypt (struct akcipher_request *req );

like, yes, that's the whole signature. short and slay ✨

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

  • req — the asymmetric key request 💖 this is the little container that holds all the deets for the operation, and you do have to hand it over.

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So what does it actually do? It invokes the specific public key decrypt operation for a given public key algorithm. That's it. That's the vibe. it's giving "middle manager of the crypto world" — it doesn't do the math itself, it just makes sure the right algorithm's decrypt routine gets called 👑

lowkey the whole point: you bring the req, it routes the decrypt. no cap 💅

⭐ RETURN ⭐

  • zero on success 🎉 like, we ate and left no crumbs
  • an error code in case of error 😭 yes bestie, if it goes wrong you get an error code back. check it. always check it.

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the whole friend group, fr fr — go read these too:

💀 reminder: the return value is not decorative. zero means slay, anything else means go read the error code. don't @ me.

and that's the page! this little gem lives in ./include/crypto and it's dated October 2026 🌈 mwah, go decrypt something gorgeous 🧚‍♀️💜

📦 where this page comes from