drm_helper_r...e_force_mode(9)

💅 drm_helper_resume_force_mode(9)

okay so real talk, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual — yes, the kernel API manual, we're in that part of the docs bestie, the DRM helpers zone 🎀 and today's main character is drm_helper_resume_force_mode. Buckle up.

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✨ NAME ✨

drm_helper_resume_force_mode — force-restore mode setting configuration. yeah. it does exactly what it says and it says it loudly 🔥

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void drm_helper_resume_force_mode (struct drm_device *dev );

no return value. no drama. just vibes and a void. periodt 💅

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• dev — the drm_device that should be restored. that's it, that's the whole argument list, she's low maintenance 💖

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🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

so here's the tea ☕ — drivers that use the mode setting helpers can call this function to force-restore the mode setting configuration. when? like, on resume, or whenever something else might have trampled all over the hw state. and yes, the manpage literally calls out overzealous old BIOSen as the culprit — those ancient firmware gremlins really said "let me just redecorate your hardware state while you weren't looking" 😭 iconic behavior, terrible roommate.

this helper doesn't provide a error return value, and honestly it doesn't need one — restoring the old config should never fail due to resource allocation issues, since the driver has already successfully set the restored configuration before. so basically this boils down to the equivalent of a few dpms on calls, which also don't provide an error code. no notes, clean, simple, we love a function that knows what it is ✨

but bestie, listen 👀 — drivers where simply restoring an old configuration again might fail (for example, due to slight differences in allocating shared resources when the configuration is restored in a different order than when userspace set it up) need to use their own restore logic. you can't reuse this one, it's not gonna fit, don't force it 🙈

⚠️ heads up! this function is deprecated. new drivers should implement atomic mode-setting and use the atomic suspend/resume helpers instead. it's giving "we're not mad, we're just disappointed." use the new stuff, bestie 🫶

see also: drm_atomic_helper_suspend, drm_atomic_helper_resume — your new besties 💜

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpu/drm/drm_crtc_helper.c overview(9)
• drm_helper_encoder_in_use(9)
• drm_helper_crtc_in_use(9)
• drm_helper_disable_unused_functions(9)
• drm_crtc_helper_set_mode(9)
• drm_crtc_helper_atomic_check(9)
• drm_crtc_helper_set_config(9)
• drm_helper_connector_dpms(9)
• drm_helper_force_disable_all(9)

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and that's the whole page, bestie, go restore some modes responsibly 💖 this little gem lives over in ./drivers/gpu/drm, dated October 2026, and it goes by drm_helper_r...e_force_mode(9) — yes the name is abbreviated with literal dots in the header, no I will not be explaining that, iykyk 🧚‍♀️✨