find_vma_prev(9)

✨ find_vma_prev — the kernel API manual, bestie edition ✨

okay so real talk, this one is a kernel API manual page (find_vma_prev(9), in case the header didn't already scream it) and honestly? it's iconic in a lowkey way. let's get into it 💅

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🎀 NAME 🎀

find_vma_prev — find the VMA for a given address, or the next vma, and set %pprev to the previous VMA, if any. that's it, that's the whole vibe 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct vm_area_struct * find_vma_prev (struct mm_struct *mm , unsigned long addr , struct vm_area_struct **pprev );

like yes, it's a whole mouthful of a signature, but she's worth it 🫶

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💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• mm — the mm_struct you're checking, aka the main character of this whole operation 👑
• addr — the address. that's it. that's the address ✨
• pprev — the pointer you're setting to the previous VMA 🔥

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🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

ngl, there's a little plot twist here: the RCU lock is missing in this function, and that's on purpose — because the external mmap_lock is used instead. so don't come for her about the RCU lock, okay? it's giving "i have a different system and it works for me" 💀

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

you get back the VMA associated with addr, or the next vma 🔥 and heads up: it may return NULL in the case of no vma at addr or above — so, y'know, vibe check your return value before you use it 😭🙈

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• Kernel file ./mm/mmap.c
• do_mmap(9)
• find_vma_intersection(9)
• find_vma(9)

go read those too, iykyk 💜

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fr fr, that's the whole page — no cap, no missing flags, nothing skipped 🧚

okay bestie that's a wrap!! this little gem lives in ./mm and the version/date on the tin says October 2026 — so go forth and find those VMAs responsibly, mwah 💅💖🎀