kthread_run(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💫 kthread_run 💫

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual entry for kthread_run — yes, that one, the glow-up wrapper you've been looking for 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

kthread_run — literally creates a thread AND wakes it up. two jobs, one function, main character energy fr 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

kthread_run (threadfn , data , namefmt , ... );

that's it. that's the whole vibe. copy it exactly, no cap 🫶

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • threadfn — the function that keeps running until signal_pending(current) says "okay queen, that's enough" 😭 it's the actual work-doer, the whole point of the thread
  • data — the data ptr you hand off to threadfn. it's giving "here's your little bag of stuff, go wild" 🍓
  • namefmt — a printf-style name for the thread. yes, printf-style, so format specifiers go crazy here ✨ name your thread something cute, it's allowed
  • ... — variable arguments. the little extras that feed into that namefmt 👑

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

okay so listen 👏 kthread_run is a convenient wrapper for kthread_create followed by wake_up_process. that's the entire lore. create the thread, then wake it up, all in one tidy little call — the way that it does both steps for you is honestly iconic 💖

what does it give back? it returns the kthread, or — and this is the part where you go 💀 — ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM). so like, check your return value, bestie. no cap. always check it. an ERR_PTR is not a real thread and you will have a bad time 🙈

so real talk: this is a wrapper, meaning kthread_create + wake_up_process are doing the actual lifting underneath. kthread_run just makes it one line and keeps your code looking cute 🧚

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read the whole family, they're all lowkey obsessed with each other 🦋✨

and that's the page!! mwah 💋 sign-off time: this lil masterpiece lives in ./include/linux and the kthread_run(9) manual page is dated October 2026 — so like, go forth and thread responsibly, bestie 🎀💜⭐

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