kernel_file_open(9)

💅 kernel_file_open(9) 💅

okay so bestie, welcome to kernel_file_open(9), straight outta the Kernel API Manual. this page is all about opening a file for kernel internal use, and it is lowkey iconic. 🫶✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

kernel_file_open — open a file for kernel internal use 💖

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

struct file * kernel_file_open (const struct path *path , int flags ,
       const struct cred *cred );

it's giving: you pass in a path, some flags, and a cred, and you get back a struct file *. main character function energy fr fr. 🔥

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• path — path of the file to open. like, where the file literally lives 🗺️
• flags — open flags. the settings bestie ⚙️
• cred — credentials for open. yes, the creds 🔑

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the whole point: this opens a file for use by in-kernel consumers. no user-space fd table shenanigans here, okay? 🌈

important caveat time, bestie: the file is not accounted against nr_files, and it must not be installed into the file descriptor table. periodt. 🚫📁

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🔥 RETURN 🔥

you get the opened file on success, or an error pointer on failure. slay when it works, check that pointer when it doesn't 😭💀

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• Kernel file ./fs/open.c 🧚
• finish_open(9)
• finish_no_open(9)
• vfs_open(9)
• file_open_name(9)
• filp_open(9)

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kisses bestie 💋 — source/version ./fs, date October 2026, manual name kernel_file_open(9). that's the whole page, mwah 🫶✨