ecryptfs_do_create(9)

💅 ecryptfs_do_create — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense

okay so bestie, we're looking at ecryptfs_do_create(9) from the Kernel API Manual ✨ this one lives in the eCryptfs corner of the kernel and it's literally about making new files happen, so let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct inode * ecryptfs_do_create (struct inode *directory_inode ,
struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry , umode_t mode );

that's the whole signature, no cap — returns a struct inode *, takes three things 💖

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• directory_inode — the inode of the new file's dentry's parent in ecryptfs. yes that's a whole chain of possession, it's giving family tree energy 🌈
• ecryptfs_dentry — the new file's dentry in ecryptfs. this is the baby being born 👑
• mode — the mode of the new file. you know, the permissions vibe check 🦋

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so what it actually does: it creates the underlying file and the eCryptfs inode that will link to it. two-for-one, iconic 💅

it will also update the eCryptfs directory inode to mimic the stat of the lower directory inode — like, keeping the mirror looking right, iykyk 🪞

and the return values, listen up:

• on success it returns the new eCryptfs inode 💖
• if things go sideways it returns an ERR_PTR on error condition 😭

ngl bestie, ERR_PTR means you gotta check with IS_ERR() before you go dereferencing anything. that's not me adding lore, that's just how error pointers work — but the manpage itself only tells you it returns an ERR_PTR on error, so treat that as your heads-up fr fr 💀

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Kernel file ./fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
• ecryptfs_interpose(9)
• ecryptfs_lookup(9)
• upper_size_to_lower_size(9)
• __ecryptfs_truncate(9)
• ecryptfs_truncate(9)
• ecryptfs_setattr(9)

like, go read those next, they're all in their own little eCryptfs friend group 🧚

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💜 sign-off 💜

this legend comes from the source path ./fs/ecryptfs, dated October 2026, and the page itself is ecryptfs_do_create(9) — periodt, that's the whole manual, slay 🎀⭐