dev_state_show(9)

💅 dev_state_show(9) — a Kernel API Manual moment

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual, where we're talking about dev_state_show(9) — literally the function whose whole job is to display device state. that's it. that's the name. iconic brevity, no notes 💖

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ssize_t dev_state_show (struct device *device , struct device_attribute
*attr , char *buf );

three args, one return type, zero drama. ssize_t is the vibe. 🦋

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• device — the device pointer 🫶 like, the actual device we're talking about here
• attr — the attribute pointer. yes it's there. yes it has a job. no we're not elaborating, that's just what the page says ✨
• buf — a char out buffer, aka where the output goes to live its best life 💫

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🔥 RETURN 🔥

it returns the number of the bytes printed into buf, or an error 😭 so like… check it. always check it. periodt.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the whole friend group, no cap — from Kernel file ./drivers/misc/mei/main.c, we've got:

• mei_open(9)
• mei_cl_vtag_remove_by_fp(9)
• mei_release(9)
• mei_read(9)
• mei_cl_vtag_by_fp(9)
• mei_write(9)
• mei_ioctl_connect_client(9)
• mei_vt_support_check(9)
• mei_ioctl_connect_vtag(9)
• mei_ioctl_client_notify_request(9)
• mei_ioctl_client_notify_get(9)
• mei_ioctl(9)
• mei_poll(9)
• mei_cl_is_write_queued(9)
• mei_fsync(9)
• mei_fasync(9)
• trc_show(9)
• fw_status_show(9)
• hbm_ver_show(9)
• hbm_ver_drv_show(9)
• fw_ver_show(9)
• mei_set_devstate(9)
• kind_show(9)
• mei_minor_get(9)
• mei_minor_free(9)

like, the entire _show(9) cinematic universe is in here. we love a crossover event 👑💜

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ngl bestie, this manpage is short and sweet — but every single one of those refs is real, so don't go skipping them. iykyk 💅

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and that's the whole page, mwah 🍓 this lil cutie lives in ./drivers/misc/mei, dropped October 2026, and answers to the name dev_state_show(9) — go forth and read your device state, main character 🌸✨