hid_compare_device_paths(9)

💖 hid_compare_device_paths(9) 💖

okay bestie, so this one lives in the Kernel API Manual and it's literally called hid_compare_device_paths(9) — say that five times fast, iykyk. it's a tiny little helper in the HID corner of the kernel and honestly? it's giving "small but mighty." 🦋

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✨ NAME ✨

hid_compare_device_paths — check if both devices share the same path 👀💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

bool hid_compare_device_paths (struct hid_device *hdev_a , struct
       hid_device *hdev_b , char separator );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• hdev_a — hid device 💖 (yes, the first one)
• hdev_b — hid device 🫶 (and the second one, we love a duo)
• separator — char to use as separator ✨ like, the character that does the splitting, no cap

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🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So here's the vibe: it checks if two devices share the same path up to the last occurrence of the separator char. that's the whole thing. that's the function. 😭

⚠️ Important caveat bestie, do NOT skip this: both paths must exist — meaning zero-length paths don't match. like, if there's nothing there, there's nothing to compare. periodt. 💀

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

these all live in the kernel file ./drivers/hid/hid-core.c and honestly the whole friend group is iconic 🌈:

• 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_allocate_device(9)
• hid_destroy_device(9)

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and that's the page, bestie!! 🧚 mwah 💋

this little cutie is filed under ./drivers/hid, and the version/date stamp on it is October 2026 — so yeah, she's from the future and she ate. 💜⭐