DEVICE_GET_SOFTC(9)

💖 DEVICE_GET_SOFTC(9) — access driver private instance variables 💖

(okay bestie, this one is from the Kernel Developer's Manual — and it's literally about grabbing a driver's private instance-variable pointer ✨)

🌸 NAME 🌸

device_get_softc — access driver private instance variables

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <sys/param.h>
#include <sys/bus.h>

void *
device_get_softc(device_t dev);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So device_get_softc(dev) returns the driver-specific software context of dev. The softc is automatically allocated and zeroed when the device is attached. 💅

It's also initialized and present when a device is probed, but there are caveats — those are described in DEVICE_PROBE(9). 👀

The size of the allocation is determined by the device's driver_t information used to define the driver. The softc typically encapsulates the state of this instance of the device. 🎀

⚠️ real talk, bestie: driver writers are discouraged from using their own softc management mechanisms. And they should not copy such mechanisms found in drivers in the tree that predate this function. no cap. 💀

🌈 RETURN VALUES 🌈

The pointer to the driver-specific instance variable is returned. that's it, that's the vibe. 🫶

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• device(9)
• DEVICE_PROBE(9)
• device_set_softc(9)
• driver(9)

👑 AUTHORS 👑

This manual page was written by Doug Rabson. iconic. 💜

🎀 that's the whole page, bestie. source/version vibes: Debian, dated January 21, 2015, and the manpage tag is DEVICE_GET_SOFTC(9) — periodt. 💅✨