dma_pool_alloc(9)

💖 dma_pool_alloc — get a block of coherent memory 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual entry for dma_pool_alloc(9) — yes that's the manual name, it's giving very serious kernel energy, and we're gonna make it make sense 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void * dma_pool_alloc (struct dma_pool *pool , gfp_t mem_flags ,
       dma_addr_t *handle );

literally three args, one return, zero drama. slay 💅

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• pool — the dma pool that will produce the block. it's the main character here, the one actually handing out the memory 🫶
• mem_flags — a GFP_* bitmask. yes, the flags go here, no cap 💫
• handle — a pointer to the dma address of the block. this is where the dma address gets reported back to you 🦋

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

so what do you get? the kernel virtual address of a currently unused block — and it reports that block's dma address through the handle. iconic behaviour honestly 👑

but bestie, listen: if such a memory block can't be allocated, NULL is returned. that's the vibe check. always check for NULL, fr fr 😭

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• the kernel file ./mm/dmapool.c 💖
• dma_pool_create_node(9)
• dma_pool_destroy(9)
• dma_pool_free(9)
• dmam_pool_create(9)
• dmam_pool_destroy(9)

go read those too, iykyk 🌈

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and that's the whole page, bestie — sourced from ./mm, dated October 2026, filed under dma_pool_alloc(9) in the Kernel API Manual. periodt. 💜✨