fdt_set_name(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 fdt_set_name — a kernel API manual, but make it make sense

okay so this is fdt_set_name(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and yes bestie it's a real page, sit down, we're learning ✨

🌸 NAME

fdt_set_name — change the name of a given node, literally just renaming a node, that's the whole vibe 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS

int fdt_set_name (void *fdt , int nodeoffset , const char *name );

🫶 ARGUMENTS

  • fdt — pointer to the device tree blob. it's the blob. the whole tree. your canvas 💖
  • nodeoffset — structure block offset of a node. yes it's an offset, yes it's in the structure block, yes you need to get it right 🦋
  • name — the name to give the node. new name, new you, main character energy 👑

💅 DESCRIPTION

fdt_set_name replaces the name (including unit address, if any) of the given node with the given string. that's it, that's the function. new name, who dis 🌸

⚠️ NOTE: this function can't efficiently check if the new name is unique amongst the given node's siblings. results are undefined if this function is invoked with a name equal to one of the given node's siblings. so like… bestie… please check your siblings yourself, because this function is NOT doing it for you 😭 no cap, undefined results are not a vibe.

also — and this is the part that lowkey gets people — this function may insert or delete data from the blob, and will therefore change the offsets of some existing nodes. the way that a rename can just shuffle your whole offset situation 🫠 highkey important, keep your other offsets in check.

🔥 RETURN

  • 0 — on success, we ate, periodt ✨
  • -FDT_ERR_NOSPACE — there is insufficient free space in the blob to contain the new name. not enough room, the blob said no 🙈
  • -FDT_ERR_BADOFFSET — nodeoffset did not point to an FDT_BEGIN_NODE tag. wrong tag, wrong door 💀
  • -FDT_ERR_BADMAGIC, -FDT_ERR_BADVERSION, -FDT_ERR_BADSTATE — standard meanings, iykyk 💜

🦋 SEE ALSO

okay this is the long part and no I'm not skipping any of it, the whole friend group is here 🥰 the kernel file is ./scripts/dtc/libfdt/libfdt.h, and here's everyone:

and that's the page!! 🧚 this one lives in ./scripts/dtc/libfdt and the version/date stamp on it is October 2026 — so yeah, it's giving future icon behavior 💜 go rename a node bestie, just check your siblings first fr fr 🍓

📦 where this page comes from