d_find_alias(9)

✨ d_find_alias(9) — Kernel API Manual edition ✨

okay so bestie, this is the d_find_alias(9) page from the Kernel API Manual, and it is literally giving “grab a hashed alias of inode” energy. 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

d_find_alias — grab a hashed alias of inode

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

struct dentry * d_find_alias (struct inode *inode );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• inode — the inode in question, bestie. 🫶

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

Okay so if inode has a hashed alias, or if it is a directory and has any alias, this function acquires the reference to the alias and returns it. Slay. Otherwise it returns NULL. No cap, that is the whole mood.

Notice that if inode is a directory there can be only one alias, and it can be unhashed only if:

• it has no children, or
• it is the root of a filesystem, or
• the directory was renamed and d_revalidate was the first vfs operation to notice.

Also, if the inode has an IS_ROOT, DCACHE_DISCONNECTED alias, then prefer any other hashed alias over that one. Iconic little preference rule, honestly.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./fs/dcache.c and the whole dcache group chat:

• d_drop(9)
• dentry_kill(9)
• __move_to_shrink_list(9)
• d_find_any_alias(9)
• prune_dcache_sb(9)
• shrink_dcache_sb(9)
• enum d_walk_ret(9)
• d_walk(9)
• path_has_submounts(9)
• shrink_dcache_tree(9)
• d_invalidate(9)
• __d_alloc(9)
• d_alloc(9)
• d_alloc_pseudo(9)
• d_instantiate(9)
• d_obtain_alias(9)
• d_obtain_root(9)
• d_add_ci(9)
• d_same_name(9)
• __d_lookup_rcu(9)
• d_lookup(9)
• __d_lookup(9)
• d_hash_and_lookup(9)
• d_delete(9)
• d_rehash(9)
• d_add(9)
• d_ancestor(9)
• d_splice_alias(9)
• is_subdir(9)

🫶 that’s the whole page, bestie — cute footer sign-off: source/version ./fs, date October 2026, page d_find_alias(9). periodt. 💖