disable_irq(9)

💅 disable_irq — kernel API manual, bestie edition ✨

okay so bestie, we're in the Kernel API Manual (yes, the 9 section, the big-kid one) and today's main character is disable_irq. she's lowkey one of the most important functions in the whole interrupt saga. let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

disable_irq — disable an irq and wait for completion 💖

like, she turns the interrupt off and she waits for everyone to finish their little tasks first. polite queen behavior, honestly.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void disable_irq (unsigned int irq );

no return value, no drama, just vibes and one parameter. periodt.

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• irq — the Interrupt to disable. that's it. that's the whole argument. give her the interrupt number and she'll handle the rest 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Disable the selected interrupt line. Enables and Disables are nested — yes bestie, nested, so keep a mental tally, because they stack like your unread notifications 🔥

This function waits for any pending IRQ handlers for this interrupt to complete before returning. she's not leaving until the group chat is quiet, fr fr.

⚠️ If you use this function while holding a resource the IRQ handler may need you will deadlock. like, actual deadlock. the whole thing stops. not cute. do NOT do this 🙈💀

Can only be called from preemptible code as it might sleep when an interrupt thread is associated to irq. so yeah — preemptible code only, because she might catch a nap 😴✨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./kernel/irq/manage.c — that's where she lives, go say hi 🏠

and the whole extended fam, in all their glory:

• synchronize_hardirq(9)
• synchronize_irq(9)
• irq_can_set_affinity(9)
• irq_can_set_affinity_usr(9)
• irq_set_thread_affinity(9)
• irq_affinity_schedule_notify_work(9)
• irq_update_affinity_desc(9)
• irq_set_affinity(9)
• irq_force_affinity(9)
• irq_set_affinity_notifier(9)
• irq_set_vcpu_affinity(9)
• disable_irq_nosync(9)
• disable_hardirq(9)
• disable_nmi_nosync(9)
• enable_irq(9)
• enable_nmi(9)
• irq_set_irq_wake(9)
• irq_wake_thread(9)
• free_irq(9)
• request_threaded_irq(9)
• request_any_context_irq(9)
• request_nmi(9)
• irq_percpu_is_enabled(9)
• free_percpu_irq(9)
• request_percpu_irq_affinity(9)
• request_percpu_nmi(9)
• prepare_percpu_nmi(9)
• teardown_percpu_nmi(9)
• irq_get_irqchip_state(9)
• irq_set_irqchip_state(9)
• irq_has_action(9)
• irq_check_status_bit(9)

iykyk 😌

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! this little gem comes from ./kernel/irq, dated October 2026, and she's filed under disable_irq(9). go forth and disable responsibly 💜🎀⭐