insert_dent(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

✨ insert_dent(9) — like, the UBIFS kernel API manual bestie ✨

okay so real talk, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual and it's all about one lil function called insert_dent. it lives in ./fs/ubifs (yes that's the UBIFS file-system source tree, we love her) and honestly? she's kind of a big deal. let's get into it 💅

🎀 NAME 🎀

insert_dent — insert a directory entry node into the replay list.

like. that's it. that's the whole vibe. she inserts a directory entry node into the replay list and she does it flawlessly 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int insert_dent (struct ubifs_info *c , int lnum , int offs , int len ,
const u8 *hash , union ubifs_key *key , const char *name , int nlen ,
unsigned long long sqnum , int deletion , int *used );

look at all those parameters. she's thorough. she's committed. she said "i will take every single argument and i will take them correctly" 😌✨

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

okay bestie, here's the full cast of characters, no skips, no cuts, all of them get their moment:

  • c — the UBIFS file-system description object. main character energy fr, she's the whole filesystem in one struct 🏛️
  • lnum — node logical eraseblock number. like, which LEB are we even talking about 💭
  • offs — node offset. where in that eraseblock we're hanging out 📍
  • len — node length. how long the node is, respectfully 📏
  • hash — node hash. the cryptographic little fingerprint of it 🔐
  • key — node key. the lookup key, the lil name tag 🏷️
  • name — directory entry name. the actual name name, you know 🌷
  • nlen — directory entry name length. the length of the name, obviously, she's not gonna count it herself 💅
  • sqnum — sequence number. a unsigned long long btw, so like, a big number 🔢
  • deletion — non-zero if this is a deletion. so if it's 0 you're inserting, if it's non-zero you're deleting, and no, we don't judge 🫣
  • used — number of bytes in use in a LEB. a pointer to it, so she can update it on the way out 👀

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so here's what she actually does: this function inserts a scanned directory entry node or an extended attribute entry into the replay list. that's the whole assignment, and she ate, no cap 🍽️

return value check time, bestie, this one matters:

  • returns zero in case of success 🎉
  • returns a negative error code in case of failure 😭

so like, check the return value. always. every time. i'm not playing 🙏

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the friend group. the whole group chat. the extended universe. don't skip a single one, i mean it:

like, that's the squad. insert_node(9) is literally her sibling btw, iykyk 👑

ngl if you're out here calling this without checking the return value, we need to talk. she will return a negative error code and she will not be subtle about it 💀

okay that's the whole page, you're officially educated 🎓✨ this fab little manual came out of ./fs/ubifs, October 2026, and she ate every single time 💖 mwah, go read apply_replay_list(9) next, i'm obsessed 🧚

📦 where this page comes from