hrtimer_try_to_cancel(9)

okay so bestie, welcome to the hrtimer_try_to_cancel(9) page from the Kernel API Manual — it’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s literally about trying to deactivate a timer 💅✨

🎀 NAME 🎀

hrtimer_try_to_cancel — try to deactivate a timer. That’s the whole assignment, no cap 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

Copy this exactly, bestie:

int hrtimer_try_to_cancel (struct hrtimer *timer );

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• timer — the hrtimer to stop. That’s it, that’s the argument 🎀

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so the vibe check here is the return value, and it’s giving three possible outcomes:

• 0 — when the timer was not active.
• 1 — when the timer was active.
• -1 — when the timer is currently executing the callback function and cannot be stopped.

lowkey important: -1 means it’s currently executing the callback function and cannot be stopped. No cap, don’t fight it 😭

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Kernel file ./kernel/time/hrtimer.c — and the whole friend group:

• hrtimer_update_function(9)
• hrtimer_forward(9)
• hrtimer_start_range_ns(9)
• hrtimer_start_range_ns_user(9)
• hrtimer_cancel(9)
• __hrtimer_get_remaining(9)
• hrtimer_get_next_event(9)
• hrtimer_next_event_without(9)
• hrtimer_setup(9)
• hrtimer_setup_on_stack(9)
• hrtimer_sleeper_start_expires(9)
• hrtimer_setup_sleeper_on_stack(9)

kisses and timer-safe hugs 🫶 — source/version: ./kernel/time · date: October 2026 · page: hrtimer_try_to_cancel(9) 💜