get_and_clear_ptes(9)

💅 get_and_clear_ptes — Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

okay so you're in the get_and_clear_ptes(9) page of the Kernel API Manual and honestly? you're about to have a great time. this one's a little pte-clearing baddie and she slays. let's get into it. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

get_and_clear_ptes — clears the present PTEs that map consecutive pages of the same folio, and collects the dirty/accessed bits while she's at it. multitasking icon. 👑

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

pte_t get_and_clear_ptes (struct mm_struct *mm , unsigned long addr ,
       pte_t *ptep , unsigned int nr );

look at her. four args, zero chill. 💅

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• mm — the address space these pages are mapped into. it's giving "whose house are we in" energy.
• addr — the address where the first page is mapped. first one's the main character, the rest just follow. ✨
• ptep — page table pointer for that first entry. the starting point. the anchor. the moment before the slay.
• nr — how many entries we're clearing. the count. the vibe check number. 🔢

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea: use this one instead of get_and_clear_full_ptes whenever you know you don't need to clear the full mm — which, ngl, is mostly the case. like, why clear the whole house when you only need to tidy one room? 🙈

⚠️ important little note, bestie: the PTE bits in the PTE range besides the PFN can totally differ. for example, some PTEs might be write-protected. don't assume they're all matching, because they're not, and she will catch you. 😭

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🧚 CONTEXT 🧚

the rules of the room, lowkey:

• the caller holds the page table lock. 🔒
• the PTEs map consecutive pages that belong to the same folio. they're a friend group, fr fr.
• the PTEs are all in the same PMD. all in the same group chat. no stragglers. 💜

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

so many links, so little time. the whole squad:

Kernel file ./include/linux/pgtable.h

• lazy_mmu_mode_enable(9)
• lazy_mmu_mode_disable(9)
• __task_lazy_mmu_mode_pause(9)
• lazy_mmu_mode_pause(9)
• __task_lazy_mmu_mode_resume(9)
• lazy_mmu_mode_resume(9)
• pte_batch_hint(9)
• set_ptes(9)
• clear_young_dirty_ptes(9)
• get_and_clear_full_ptes(9)
• clear_full_ptes(9)
• clear_ptes(9)
• clear_nonpresent_ptes(9)
• ptep_try_set(9)
• flush_tlb_before_set(9)
• wrprotect_ptes(9)
• clear_flush_young_ptes(9)
• test_and_clear_young_ptes(9)
• modify_prot_start_ptes(9)
• modify_prot_commit_ptes(9)
• pfnmap_setup_cachemode(9)
• pfnmap_track(9)
• pfnmap_untrack(9)
• pfnmap_setup_cachemode_pfn(9)

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aaaand that's the page!! 🫶 this cutie came to you from ./include/linux, dated October 2026 — so go forth, clear those PTEs, collect those dirty/accessed bits, and remember: same folio, same PMD, hold the lock. periodt. 💅✨🌈