hid_allocate_device(9)

💖 hid_allocate_device(9) — Kernel API Manual 💖

okay bestie, you found the hid_allocate_device(9) page, and yes, the manual name is Kernel API Manual, folded right up here so we can get into the good stuff. this is your allocation bestie, and she is lowkey iconic ✨

🎀 NAME 🎀

hid_allocate_device — allocate new hid device descriptor. that's it, that's the name, and it ate 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

here's the signature, exactly as written, because we do not freestyle code:

struct hid_device * hid_allocate_device (void );

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• void — no arguments. literally none. the void is voiding, bestie 🫶

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

okay so the whole vibe: it allocates and initializes a hid device, so that hid_destroy_device might be used to free it. it's giving setup-then-cleanup energy, iykyk 🎀

On success you get a new hid_device pointer. otherwise? you get an ERR_PTR encoded error value. no cap, that's the return contract, and it's important 🌈

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the kernel file ./drivers/hid/hid-core.c is the source home for this, and the SEE ALSO group chat is:

• hid_parse_report(9)
• hid_validate_values(9)
• hid_open_report(9)
• hid_match_report(9)
• hid_match_usage(9)
• hid_input_report(9)
• hid_safe_input_report(9)
• hid_hw_start(9)
• hid_hw_stop(9)
• hid_hw_open(9)
• hid_hw_close(9)
• hid_hw_request(9)
• hid_hw_raw_request(9)
• hid_hw_output_report(9)
• new_id_store(9)
• hid_compare_device_paths(9)
• hid_destroy_device(9)

go read them, bestie — they're all part of the lore 👑

xoxo, signed off by the source/version ./drivers/hid, dated October 2026, in the hid_allocate_device(9) manual 💅✨