hl_fw_version_cmp(9)

💖 hl_fw_version_cmp — the FW version vibe check 💖

okay so real talk, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual (section 9, kernel API, iykyk) and it's about one tiny function that does one tiny thing but does it flawlessly. Let's get into it bestie 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

hl_fw_version_cmp — literally just compares the FW version to a specific version. that's it. that's the whole job. and she ate 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int hl_fw_version_cmp (struct hl_device *hdev , u32 major , u32 minor ,
u32 subminor );

yes the spacing is a little quirky, no we're not fixing it, it's canon 💀

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• hdev — pointer to hl_device structure. the main character of the whole habanalabs universe, honestly 👑
• major — major number of a reference version. the big sister of the version triple 🦋
• minor — minor number of a reference version. middle child energy but we love her 🌈
• subminor — sub-minor number of a reference version. the tiny baby of the trio, absolutely precious 🍓

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💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

okay so this is the whole plot and it's honestly so clean:

• returns 1 if the FW version is greater than the reference version ⭐
• returns -1 if it's smaller 🌧️
• returns 0 if the versions are identical 🎯

like… it's a three-way vibe check and it never misses. no cap. three outcomes, zero drama, periodt 💅

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

first up, the actual home of this function — the kernel file:

./drivers/accel/habanalabs/common/firmware_if.c

and then the entire squad, the whole group chat, every single one of them 🫶:

• extract_u32_until_given_char(9)
• hl_get_sw_major_minor_subminor(9)
• hl_get_preboot_major_minor(9)
• hl_release_firmware(9)
• hl_fw_copy_fw_to_device(9)
• hl_fw_copy_msg_to_device(9)
• hl_fw_load_fw_to_device(9)
• hl_fw_send_cpu_message(9)
• hl_fw_preboot_update_state(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_report_error_status(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_send_cmd(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_extract_fw_response(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_wait_for_status(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_send_clear_cmd(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_send_protocol_cmd(9)
• hl_fw_compat_crc32(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_validate_memory_bound(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_validate_descriptor(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_read_and_validate_descriptor(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_request_descriptor(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_read_device_fw_version(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_copy_image(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_copy_msg(9)
• hl_fw_boot_fit_update_state(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_load_image(9)
• hl_fw_linux_update_state(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_send_msg(9)
• hl_fw_dynamic_init_cpu(9)
• hl_fw_static_init_cpu(9)
• hl_fw_init_cpu(9)

that's thirty of them bestie, thirty, and every single one is invited to the party 🎉 iykyk

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ngl if you're deep in firmware_if.c at 2am comparing version numbers, this page is your emotional support manpage. no thoughts, just -1, 0, 1 🌙✨

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okay that's the whole page!! source/version is ./drivers/accel/habanalabs/common, dated October 2026, and it lives under hl_fw_version_cmp(9) forever and always. go forth and compare versions responsibly, bestie 💜🎀🔥