drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle(9) — the Kernel API Manual page bestie edition 🎀

okay so before we even start: this is drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle, and it lives in the Kernel API Manual. yes, the whole manual. she's kind of a big deal ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle — the PRIME import function for GEM drivers. that's the vibe. that's the whole job 💖

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle (struct drm_device *dev , struct drm_file
*file_priv , int prime_fd , uint32_t *handle );

like, that's the signature. she takes four things and gives you back a int. no cap 🫶

⭐ ARGUMENTS ⭐

  • dev — the drm_device you're importing into. this is the destination, the main character, the place things land 👑
  • file_priv — the drm file-private structure. you know her, you love her 🙈
  • prime_fd — the fd id of the dma-buf that should be imported. yes, the fd. that one 💅
  • handle — a pointer to storage for the handle of the imported buffer object. you're handing her an empty spot on the shelf and she fills it in 🎀

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

okay so this is the PRIME import function, and listen — GEM drivers must use it. mandatorily. no vibes-based workarounds, no "but mine is special". she's the one that makes sure the underlying GEM object's lifetime management is handled correctly, and honestly? she ate 💀

the actual importing of the GEM object from the dma-buf is done through the drm_driver.gem_prime_import driver callback — so that's where the real lifting happens, this function is the whole correct-lifetime wrapper around it 🧚

Returns 0 on success, or a negative error code on failure. that's it, that's the contract 🌈

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

literally the entire friend group, go say hi 👋

aaaand that's the page!! source lives at ./drivers/gpu/drm, dated October 2026, and it's the drm_gem_prime_fd_to_handle(9) manual page 🍓 stay hydrated, read your lifetime rules, and don't leak your GEM objects bestie 💖✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from