ext4_find_goal(9)

💅 ext4_find_goal(9) — from the Kernel API Manual, bestie ✨

Okay so like, before we even start — yes, this is a real page out of the Kernel API Manual, and yes, the name is literally ext4_find_goal(9). Get into it. 🎀

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🌸 NAME 🌸

ext4_find_goal — find a preferred place for allocation.

Like, it goes and finds the ideal spot to put your blocks. Main character energy, honestly. 👑

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ext4_fsblk_t ext4_find_goal (struct inode *inode , ext4_lblk_t block ,
Indirect *partial );

That's the whole vibe. Three args, one return, no drama. 💜

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• inode — the owner. That's it. That's the whole description. She's mysterious, she's lowkey iconic for saying so little. 🫶
• block — the block we want. The one. The target. 🎯
• partial — a pointer to the last triple within a chain. Ngl if that didn't make sense to you, same, but that's literally what it says and I'm nothing if not accurate. 🙈

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🍓 DESCRIPTION 🍓

So like — normally? This function finds the preferred place for block allocation, and then it returns it. That's the whole job. It finds the spot, it hands you the spot. Slay. ✨

But here's the tea: because this is only used for non-extent files, we limit the block nr to 32 bits. Fr fr, that's a real constraint, not me being dramatic. 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./fs/ext4/indirect.c — and honestly the whole friend group:

• ext4_block_to_path(9)
• ext4_get_branch(9)
• ext4_find_near(9)
• ext4_blks_to_allocate(9)
• ext4_alloc_branch(9)
• ext4_splice_branch(9)
• ext4_find_shared(9)
• ext4_free_data(9)
• ext4_free_branches(9)
• ext4_ind_remove_space(9)

They all ate, no cap. 💅

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Sign-off time, bestie 🎀 This little masterpiece lives at ./fs/ext4, it's dated October 2026, and it's filed under ext4_find_goal(9). Iykyk. Go forth and allocate responsibly. 🦋💖