fdt_setprop_string(9)

💅 fdt_setprop_string(9) — the fdt_setprop_string page, bestie edition ✨

okay so this one is from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the glow-up page for fdt_setprop_string — the function that gives a property a string value. it's giving "makeover montage but for device tree blobs" 🎀 let's get into it.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

fdt_setprop_string — set a property to a string value. that's it, that's the whole vibe. short, sweet, iconic 💖

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

fdt_setprop_string (fdt , nodeoffset , name , str );

(no cap, that's the exact signature, spaces and all — don't come for me, i copied it faithfully 🫶)

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💅 ARGUMENTS 💅

• fdt — a pointer to the device tree blob. yes, THE blob. the whole tree. it's the main character of this function ngl 👑
• nodeoffset — the offset of the node whose property you want to change. so like, which node are we touching, bestie 🌈
• name — the name of the property you're changing. the label on the little drawer you're swapping stuff into 🎀
• str — the string value you're putting in there. the actual content, the moment, the slay ⭐

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so what does fdt_setprop_string actually do? it sets the value of the named property in the given node to the given string value — and it uses the length of the string to figure out the new length of the property. like it just measures your string and goes "okay, that's the size now," periodt 💅

if the property does not already exist? no worries, it literally creates a new property with that value. it's giving "make it work, make it fashion" ✨

⚠️ but here's the tea, and it's important tea: this function may insert or delete data from the blob, and it will therefore change the offsets of some existing nodes. so don't be out here holding onto an old node offset like it's still valid — because it might not be 😭

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💀 RETURN 💀

• 0 — on success. we love a zero. we stan a zero. 🥳
• -FDT_ERR_NOSPACE — there is insufficient free space in the blob to contain the new property value. the blob is full, bestie, there's no room for your string 🙈
• -FDT_ERR_BADOFFSET — nodeoffset did not point to FDT_BEGIN_NODE tag. wrong address, wrong vibe, blocked 💀
• -FDT_ERR_BADLAYOUT — standard meaning. 🧚
• -FDT_ERR_BADMAGIC — standard meaning. 🔮
• -FDT_ERR_BADVERSION — standard meaning. 🍓
• -FDT_ERR_BADSTATE — standard meaning. 🌸
• -FDT_ERR_BADSTRUCTURE — standard meaning. 🦋
• -FDT_ERR_BADLAYOUT — standard meaning, yes it's listed again, yes i'm listing it again, we keep every detail in this house 💖
• -FDT_ERR_TRUNCATED — standard meaning. ✂️

(and yeah, the "standard meanings" bit is doing a lot of heavy lifting there — but that's what the original says, so that's what you get, iykyk)

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

okay this list is long, like genuinely massive, so buckle up bestie. the kernel file is ./scripts/dtc/libfdt/libfdt.h, and here's every single cross-reference, in order:

fdt_offset_ptr(9), fdt_next_tag(9), fdt_first_subnode(9), fdt_next_subnode(9), fdt_for_each_subnode(9), fdt_header_size(9), fdt_header_size_(9), fdt_check_header(9), fdt_move(9), fdt_check_full(9), fdt_get_string(9), fdt_string(9), fdt_find_max_phandle(9), fdt_get_max_phandle(9), fdt_generate_phandle(9), fdt_num_mem_rsv(9), fdt_get_mem_rsv(9), fdt_subnode_offset_namelen(9), fdt_subnode_offset(9), fdt_path_offset_namelen(9), fdt_path_offset(9), fdt_get_name(9), fdt_first_property_offset(9), fdt_next_property_offset(9), fdt_for_each_property_offset(9), fdt_get_property_by_offset(9), fdt_get_property_namelen(9), fdt_get_property(9), fdt_getprop_by_offset(9), fdt_getprop_namelen(9), fdt_getprop(9), fdt_get_phandle(9), fdt_get_alias_namelen(9), fdt_get_alias(9), fdt_get_symbol_namelen(9), fdt_get_symbol(9), fdt_get_path(9), fdt_supernode_atdepth_offset(9), fdt_node_depth(9), fdt_parent_offset(9), fdt_node_offset_by_prop_value(9), fdt_node_offset_by_phandle(9), fdt_node_check_compatible(9), fdt_node_offset_by_compatible(9), fdt_stringlist_contains(9), fdt_stringlist_count(9), fdt_stringlist_search(9), fdt_stringlist_get(9), FDT_MAX_NCELLS(9), fdt_address_cells(9), fdt_size_cells(9), fdt_setprop_inplace_namelen_partial(9), fdt_setprop_inplace(9), fdt_setprop_inplace_u32(9), fdt_setprop_inplace_u64(9), fdt_setprop_inplace_cell(9), fdt_nop_property(9), fdt_nop_node(9), fdt_create_with_flags(9), fdt_create(9), fdt_resize(9), fdt_add_reservemap_entry(9), fdt_finish_reservemap(9), fdt_begin_node(9), fdt_property(9), fdt_property_placeholder(9), fdt_end_node(9), fdt_finish(9), fdt_create_empty_tree(9), fdt_open_into(9), fdt_pack(9), fdt_add_mem_rsv(9), fdt_del_mem_rsv(9), fdt_set_name(9), fdt_setprop_namelen(9), fdt_setprop(9), fdt_setprop_placeholder_namelen(9), fdt_setprop_placeholder(9), fdt_setprop_u32(9), fdt_setprop_u64(9), fdt_setprop_cell(9), fdt_setprop_namelen_string(9), fdt_setprop_empty(9), fdt_appendprop(9), fdt_appendprop_u32(9), fdt_appendprop_u64(9), fdt_appendprop_cell(9), fdt_appendprop_string(9), fdt_appendprop_addrrange(9), fdt_delprop(9), fdt_add_subnode_namelen(9), fdt_add_subnode(9), fdt_del_node(9), fdt_overlay_apply(9), fdt_overlay_target_offset(9), fdt_strerror(9)

like i said. every. single. one. 🌈

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mwah 💋 that's the page! brought to you by the fine folks at ./scripts/dtc/libfdt, dated October 2026 — go forth and set your strings, bestie, and remember: the offsets may have moved, so re-check them fr fr 🫶✨