drm_exec_lock_obj(9)

💅 drm_exec_lock_obj — the manual page, but make it make sense

okay so bestie, you're looking at the page for drm_exec_lock_obj(9), straight out of the Kernel API Manual ✨ it's literally the function that locks a GEM object for use. that's it, that's the vibe. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

drm_exec_lock_obj — lock a GEM object so you can actually use it 🔒🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int drm_exec_lock_obj (struct drm_exec *exec , struct drm_gem_object
*obj );

like, it returns an int and it takes two things. that's the whole signature, no cap 💖

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• exec — the drm_exec object holding the state. it's the one keeping track of everything, main character energy honestly 👑
• obj — the GEM object you wanna lock. yes, this one. this specific one 🫶

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so what it does: it locks a GEM object for use, and grabs a reference to it. both. at once. iconic behaviour, we love a multitasker 💅✨

that's genuinely the whole description, bestie — it locks, it refs, it leaves. periodt 🌸

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🔥 RETURN 🔥

okay this part matters so pay attention 🙈 it returns an int, and here's what each value means:

• -EDEADLK — a contention was detected. drama detected, basically 😭
• -EALREADY — the object is already locked. awkward. (you can suppress this one by setting the DRM_EXEC_IGNORE_DUPLICATES flag, if you're built different 💀)
• -ENOMEM — memory allocation failed. the memory said no 🍓
• zero — success!! we ate 🔥👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read these next, iykyk:

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpu/drm/drm_exec.c Overview(9)
• drm_exec_init(9)
• drm_exec_fini(9)
• drm_exec_cleanup(9)
• drm_exec_unlock_obj(9)
• drm_exec_prepare_obj(9)
• drm_exec_prepare_array(9)

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ngl the whole drm_exec family is a little crew and this is just one member of it — go say hi to the others 💖

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and that's the page!! 🧚 this lil gem lives in ./drivers/gpu/drm, it's part of the Kernel API Manual, and this version is dated October 2026 — mwah, catch you on the next one, bestie 💜🎀⭐