kmemleak_free(9)

💖 kmemleak_free(9) — the kernel API glow-up 🎀

okay so bestie, welcome to kmemleak_free(9), the Kernel API Manual page that's lowkey the exit to kmemleak's entrance. Every alloc needs its free, and this is the diva doing the un-registering. Slay.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void __ref kmemleak_free (const void *ptr );

that's it. that's the whole flex. no cap. 💅

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• ptr — pointer to beginning of the object. yes bestie, beginning — not the middle, not "eh somewhere around there". the start. the main character coordinate. 🫶

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the way that this works is: this function gets called from the kernel allocators when an object (a memory block) is freed — like when kmem_cache_free, kfree, vfree etc. do their thing. it's literally kmemleak going "okay she's gone, un-register her" so the leak detector doesn't keep side-eyeing a block that's already left the chat. 😭✨

it's the cleanup bestie. the goodbye text. the unmatched energy of a properly freed pointer. do not skip her. 🧚

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the whole kmemleak friend group, plus where they hang out:

• Kernel file ./mm/kmemleak.c
• kmemleak_alloc(9)
• kmemleak_alloc_percpu(9)
• kmemleak_vmalloc(9)
• kmemleak_free_part(9)
• kmemleak_free_percpu(9)
• kmemleak_update_trace(9)
• kmemleak_not_leak(9)
• kmemleak_transient_leak(9)
• kmemleak_ignore_percpu(9)
• kmemleak_ignore(9)
• kmemleak_scan_area(9)
• kmemleak_no_scan(9)
• kmemleak_alloc_phys(9)
• kmemleak_free_part_phys(9)
• kmemleak_ignore_phys(9)

like… the whole roster. iykyk. 👑

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sign-off time 🌈 — this lil masterpiece lives in ./mm, dated October 2026, and it's giving iconic kernel documentation energy fr fr. mwah 💋💖