data_nodes_cmp(9)

💅 data_nodes_cmp(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual page your bestie actually reads ✨

okay so real talk, this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual and it's short but it eats. We're comparing data nodes. That's the whole vibe. Let's go 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

data_nodes_cmp — compare 2 data nodes. that's it, that's the function, and honestly? iconic for being so direct 💖

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int data_nodes_cmp (void *priv , const struct list_head *a ,
                    const struct list_head *b );

look at that signature. look at it. three args, one int coming back at you, no cap 🫶

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• priv — the UBIFS file-system description object. yes bestie it's a void *, no we're not gonna fight about it, it's just the file-system description riding along 💜
• a — the first data node. the main character of the comparison, lowkey 👑
• b — the second data node. the challenger. the rival. the other one in the ring 🥊

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so what does it do. It compares data nodes a and b. That's the assignment, and it understood it 💀

Here's the tea: it returns 1 if a has a greater inode or block number, and -1 otherwise. That's it. One or minus one. No zero, no in-between, no "it depends" — fr fr, those are the only two outcomes 🍓

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the whole friend group, because nobody in the kernel does anything alone:

• Kernel file ./fs/ubifs/gc.c — the source file, the origin story 💫
• switch_gc_head(9)
• sort_nodes(9)
• move_node(9)
• move_nodes(9)
• gc_sync_wbufs(9)
• ubifs_garbage_collect_leb(9)
• ubifs_garbage_collect(9)
• ubifs_gc_start_commit(9)
• ubifs_gc_end_commit(9)
• ubifs_destroy_idx_gc(9)
• ubifs_get_idx_gc_leb(9)

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ngl if you're in ./fs/ubifs reading about garbage collection at 2am, that's main character energy and I respect it 🌈

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anyway that's the page! shoutout to ./fs/ubifs and the October 2026 date stamp, this has been your girl signing off — go sort some nodes, bestie, you're gonna slay 💖✨🎀