drm_dev_alloc(9)

💜 drm_dev_alloc(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

Okay so real talk, we're in the kernel API manual, section 9, and today's main character is drm_dev_alloc. Buckle up. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

drm_dev_alloc — allocate a brand new DRM device, no cap

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct drm_device * drm_dev_alloc (const struct drm_driver *driver ,
struct device *parent );

Like, that's the whole signature. Two args. We love a low-effort call. 💅

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• driver — the DRM driver you're allocating the device for. It's giving "who is this device's parent-figure," honestly.
• parent — the parent device object. Yep, the whole struct device * situation.

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🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

Okay so listen. This is the deprecated version of devm_drm_dev_alloc. Not me, the manpage said it. 😭

And lowkey there are two big things it doesn't do:

• it does not support subclassing through embedding the struct drm_device in a driver private structure — so no cute "my struct contains your struct" situation
• it does not support automatic cleanup through devres — so no free cleanup, you're on your own for teardown, periodt

bestie please note: deprecated means deprecated. It's not quirky, it's just old. Reach for devm_drm_dev_alloc if you can. 💀

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

You get a pointer to the shiny new DRM device. Or — and this is the important bit — ERR_PTR on failure. So yeah, check that thing with IS_ERR(), iykyk. 🙈

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

The kernel file ./drivers/gpu/drm/drm_drv.c is out here doing the actual work, and these lovely icons are all in the group chat:

• driver instance overview(9)
• drm_put_dev(9)
• drm_dev_enter(9)
• drm_dev_exit(9)
• drm_dev_unplug(9)
• drm_dev_set_dma_dev(9)
• drm_dev_wedged_event(9)
• component helper usage recommendations(9)
• __drm_dev_alloc(9)
• drm_dev_get(9)
• drm_dev_put(9)
• drmm_cgroup_register_region(9)
• drm_dev_register(9)
• drm_dev_unregister(9)

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🫶 That's the whole vibe. This page lives over in ./drivers/gpu/drm, stamped October 2026 — so like, stay safe out there, allocate responsibly, and remember: deprecated is not a personality trait. mwah 💋✨