file_ref_get(9)

💖 file_ref_get(9) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual, where today’s main character is file_ref_get(9). This is the little function that goes “yes, give me one reference on this file” — and it does it with full memory ordering. no cap, it’s giving careful refcount energy. 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

file_ref_get — acquire one reference on a file. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

bool file_ref_get (file_ref_t *ref );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• ref — pointer to the reference count. literally the thing you’re trying to get a ref on, bestie.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so this is similar to atomic_inc_not_zero, but it saturates at FILE_REF_MAXREF. yes, it has a ceiling — it will not just keep climbing forever.

It provides full memory ordering. 🧚✨

⭐ RETURN ⭐

• False — if the attempt to acquire a reference failed. This happens when the last reference has been put already. 😭
• True — if a reference was successfully acquired. slay. 👑

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./include/linux/file_ref.h — plus file_ref_init(9), file_ref_inc(9), file_ref_put(9), file_ref_put_close(9), and file_ref_read(9). go read those too, iykyk 📚💖

okay that’s the whole vibe: file_ref_get(9), from ./include/linux, dated October 2026 — source/version noted, date noted, and this page is officially signed off with a sparkle. 🎀💜