generic_ci_match(9)

💅 generic_ci_match(9) — or, the Kernel API Manual's take on case-insensitive matching

Okay so bestie, we're in generic_ci_match(9) land, straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and this one is lowkey a little superstar helper. Let's get into it ✨

---

🌸 NAME 🌸

generic_ci_match — matches a name against a dirent, and it does it case-insensitively. It's a filesystem helper for comparison with directory entries, fr fr.

And the plot twist: generic_ci_d_compare should be the one you actually use in VFS' ->d_compare instead. So like, generic_ci_match is the backstage crew, generic_ci_d_compare is the main character. Iykyk 🎀

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int generic_ci_match (const struct inode *parent , const struct qstr
*name , const struct qstr *folded_name , const u8 *de_name , u32
de_name_len );

That's the whole vibe check right there 💖

---

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• parent — the inode of the parent of the dirent under comparison. It's giving "who's your mom" energy 👑
• name — the name under lookup. The one we're hunting for 🔥
• folded_name — an optional pre-folded name under lookup. Already did the work? Slay, we'll respect that 🫶
• de_name — the dirent name. The candidate on the runway 🌈
• de_name_len — the dirent name length. Gotta know how much of it to look at, periodt 📏

---

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

So the whole thing here is testing whether a case-insensitive directory entry matches the filename being searched. That's it, that's the job. Ngl it's a simple little queen.

And here's the cute detail: if folded_name is provided, it gets used instead of recalculating the casefold of name. No double work, no wasting CPU, we love an efficient icon 💅✨

---

⭐ RETURN ⭐

• > 0 — the directory entry matches, we cheer 🎉
• 0 — no match, ok move along 🙈
• < 0 — error, something went wrong, and honestly 😭

---

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

Bestie, buckle up, this list is long and honestly a whole friend group. All from the Kernel file ./fs/libfs.c:

• simple_offset_init(9)
• simple_offset_add(9)
• simple_offset_remove(9)
• simple_offset_rename(9)
• simple_offset_rename_exchange(9)
• simple_offset_destroy(9)
• offset_dir_llseek(9)
• offset_readdir(9)
• simple_rename_timestamp(9)
• simple_setattr(9)
• simple_write_end(9)
• simple_read_from_buffer(9)
• simple_write_to_buffer(9)
• memory_read_from_buffer(9)
• generic_encode_ino32_fh(9)
• generic_fh_to_dentry(9)
• generic_fh_to_parent(9)
• simple_fsync_noflush(9)
• simple_fsync(9)
• generic_check_addressable(9)
• simple_get_link(9)
• generic_ci_d_compare(9)
• generic_ci_d_hash(9)
• generic_set_sb_d_ops(9)
• inode_maybe_inc_iversion(9)
• inode_query_iversion(9)
• simple_inode_init_ts(9)
• path_from_stashed(9)
• simple_start_creating(9)

Every single one, no skips, we don't do that here 💖

---

Okay that's the whole page! Go forth and match those dirents case-insensitively, queen 👑

And a lil sign-off before you close the tab: this one lives in ./fs, dated October 2026, and its whole name-tag is generic_ci_match(9). Byeeeee 🦋🌸💜