ida_alloc_range(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 ida_alloc_range(9) — a Kernel API Manual moment 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual, and today's main character is ida_alloc_range ✨ she's literally here to hand you an unused ID and she eats every time 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

ida_alloc_range — allocate an unused ID, no cap 🫶

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int ida_alloc_range (struct ida *ida , unsigned int min , unsigned int max , gfp_t gfp );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

  • ida — your IDA handle, like her little backstage pass 💖
  • min — the lowest ID to allocate, the floor, the bare minimum, periodt
  • max — the highest ID to allocate, the ceiling, the limit, the "don't even try it" ✨
  • gfp — memory allocation flags, the whole vibe check for how memory gets grabbed 🧚

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So here's the tea: this function allocates an ID between min and max, inclusive — both ends are invited to the party 🎉 The allocated ID will not exceed INT_MAX, even if max is larger. Like, she said "I'm not going past INT_MAX, bestie, don't test me" 💀

🌈 CONTEXT 🌈

Any context. It is safe to call this function without locking in your code, so you can literally just call her — no lock needed, no stress, main character energy only 👑✨

⭐ RETURN ⭐

  • The allocated ID — slay, you got one 💖
  • -ENOMEM if memory could not be allocated 😭
  • -ENOSPC if there are no free IDs 🙈

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./lib/idr.c — and the whole friend group:

lowkey if you're out here allocating IDs, remember: min and max are inclusive, and INT_MAX is the final boss you cannot pass 🫶

mwah 💋 huge kiss to ./lib for bringing us this iconic function, dated October 2026 — catch you in the next manpage, bestie! 🎀🦋💜

📦 where this page comes from