devm_gpiod_get_optional(9)

💅 devm_gpiod_get_optional — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense

okay so bestie, welcome to the devm_gpiod_get_optional(9) page, from the Kernel API Manual ✨ this one is literally about grabbing a GPIO descriptor in a resource-managed way — and the _optional part is doing SO much work, iykyk 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

devm_gpiod_get_optional — it's the resource-managed glow-up of gpiod_get_optional(). that's it, that's the whole name, slay 🫶

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct gpio_desc * devm_gpiod_get_optional (struct device *dev , const
char *con_id , enum gpiod_flags flags );

like, look at that signature. it's giving "i return a pointer to a struct gpio_desc" and honestly? iconic 👑

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• dev — the GPIO consumer. it's the device that's gonna be consuming the GPIO, bestie, don't overthink it 💜
• con_id — the function within the GPIO consumer. that's the name of the thing you're asking for, basically 🌸
• flags — optional GPIO initialization flags. this one is literally optional-optional, it's just flags for init ✨

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so this is the managed gpiod_get_optional. and when we say managed, we mean: GPIO descriptors returned from this function are automatically disposed on driver detach — no cap, the kernel cleans up after you so you don't have to 😭🫶 that's the main character energy of devm_.

for the detailed tea on behavior and return values, go read gpiod_get_optional — this one is basically the same vibe, just resource-managed. periodt 💅

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

here's what you get back (vibe check them all, they matter):

• the GPIO descriptor corresponding to the function con_id of device dev — the happy path, we love her 🎀
• NULL if no GPIO has been assigned to the requested function — not an error btw, that's the _optional bit doing its thing 🦋
• or another IS_ERR code if an error occurred while trying to acquire the GPIO — that's your "something actually went wrong" signal 🙈

ngl bestie, always check for IS_ERR before you start using the pointer. just because it's managed doesn't mean it's guaranteed 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the whole friend group, all of them, in order, no one left out 💜

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpio/gpiolib-devres.c
• devm_gpiod_get(9)
• devm_gpiod_get_index(9)
• devm_fwnode_gpiod_get_index(9)
• devm_gpiod_get_index_optional(9)
• devm_gpiod_get_array(9)
• devm_gpiod_get_array_optional(9)
• devm_gpiod_put(9)
• devm_gpiod_unhinge(9)
• devm_gpiod_put_array(9)
• devm_gpiochip_add_data_with_key(9)

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and that's the page! 🧚 it lives over at ./drivers/gpio, dated October 2026, and it's devm_gpiod_get_optional(9) — go forth and acquire those GPIOs responsibly, bestie 💖✨