delete_policy(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 delete_policy(9) — the Kernel API Manual moment ✨

Okay so bestie, we're in <pink>delete_policy</pink> territory, which lives in the Kernel API Manual (section 9, iykyk) — and honestly? She's a very specific little icon. Let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

delete_policy — the write handler for "ipe/policies/$name/delete". That's it, that's her whole job, and she does it flawlessly 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

ssize_t delete_policy (struct file *f , const char __user *data , size_t
len , loff_t *offset );

Look at that signature. Immaculate. Chef's kiss. 🤌

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • f — hands over a file structure that represents the securityfs node. Basically the paperwork proving you're allowed to be here 📄
  • data — the buffer that got passed to the write syscall. This is the payload, the main character of the operation 💌
  • len — the length of data. She's just here to tell you how much of it there is 📏
  • offset — unused. She's literally just vibing. Not invited to the function, but she showed up anyway 🙈

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So on success, this deletes the policy represented by $name. That's the whole tea. No cap. 🍵

🔥 RETURN 🔥

Here's the vibe check on what she gives back:

  • Length of buffer written — Success ✨ slay, she ate
  • -EPERM — Insufficient permission, or you tried to delete an active policy. Rude. Not allowed. Blocked. 💀
  • -EINVAL — Invalid input. Something you handed her was not it, bestie 😭
  • -ENOENT — Policy initializing/deleted. She's either not ready yet or already gone. Either way, miss thing is unavailable 🦋
⚠️ Heads up: deleting a policy that's currently active is a no-go — that's the -EPERM case. Don't try it, she will not be nice about it 💅

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./security/ipe/policy_fs.c and her whole friend group — go say hi:

and that's the whole page bestie, you're basically a kernel dev now 🧚💖

🌸✨ sign-off time ✨🌸 — this iconic little number comes to you from ./security/ipe, dated October 2026, and it's delete_policy(9) in the Kernel API Manual, periodt. 🎀💜

📦 where this page comes from