d_inode_rcu(9)

💅 d_inode_rcu — like, the Kernel API Manual, bestie ✨

okay so welcome to the group chat, we're talking about d_inode_rcu(9) today and honestly? she's a little icon. this is part of the Kernel API Manual, and she does exactly one thing but she does it correctly. 🎀

---

🌸 NAME 🌸

d_inode_rcu — get the actual inode of this dentry with READ_ONCE(), no cap 🫶

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct inode * d_inode_rcu (const struct dentry *dentry );

like yes, that's the whole signature, she's not complicated 💅

---

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• dentry — the dentry you wanna query 👀 that's it, that's the whole argument, she's lowkey low-maintenance

---

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so listen. this is the helper that normal filesystems should use to get at their own inodes in their own dentries, and also to ignore the layering that's been superimposed on top of them. 🧚

it's giving "get your own house in order" energy honestly. you've got layers stacked on layers, and d_inode_rcu is like bestie, no, we're looking at our inode, not whatever the layering wants to show us. periodt. 👑

and yeah — it does that with READ_ONCE(), which is right there in the name, so iykyk. 🌈

---

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• the kernel file ./include/linux/dcache.h 📁 (that's the one, that's where she lives)
• dget_dlock(9)
• dget(9)
• d_unhashed(9)
• d_really_is_negative(9)
• d_really_is_positive(9)
• d_inode(9)
• d_backing_inode(9)
• d_real(9)
• d_real_inode(9)

like, go read all of them, they're literally all icons in the dcache cinematic universe ⭐💜

---

ok and just so we're clear — this page is from ./include/linux, dated October 2026, and the header says d_inode_rcu(9) in the Kernel API Manual because that's her whole brand. don't forget it bestie 🍓

anyway that's the page, mwah, go forth and grab your inodes safely 💋✨🎀