list_empty_careful(9)

💅 list_empty_careful(9) — Kernel API Manual 💅

okay so bestie, this is the manual page for list_empty_careful(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the “is this list empty and also not being touched by another CPU right now” vibe check. No cap.

✨ NAME ✨

list_empty_careful — tests whether a list is empty and not being modified

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

int list_empty_careful (const struct list_head *head );

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• head — the list to test. That's it, that's the whole argument bestie 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so here's the tea: list_empty_careful tests whether a list is empty and checks that no other CPU might be in the process of modifying either member (next or prev). The and is doing main character energy here — do not skip it, iykyk. ✨

🔥 NOTE 🔥

bestie, read this one twice. Using list_empty_careful without synchronization can only be safe if the only activity that can happen to the list entry is list_del_init. Eg. it cannot be used if another CPU could re-list_add it. That's not a suggestion, that's the rule 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

The kernel file is ./tools/include/linux/list.h, and the whole linked-list friend group is here:

• list_add(9)
• list_add_tail(9)
• list_replace(9)
• list_del_init(9)
• list_move(9)
• list_move_tail(9)
• list_is_first(9)
• list_is_last(9)
• list_empty(9)
• list_rotate_left(9)
• list_is_singular(9)
• list_cut_position(9)
• list_splice(9)
• list_splice_tail(9)
• list_splice_init(9)
• list_splice_tail_init(9)
• list_entry(9)
• list_first_entry(9)
• list_last_entry(9)
• list_first_entry_or_null(9)
• list_last_entry_or_null(9)
• list_next_entry(9)
• list_prev_entry(9)
• list_for_each(9)
• list_for_each_prev(9)
• list_for_each_safe(9)
• list_for_each_prev_safe(9)
• list_for_each_entry(9)
• list_for_each_entry_reverse(9)
• list_prepare_entry(9)
• list_for_each_entry_continue(9)
• list_for_each_entry_continue_reverse(9)
• list_for_each_entry_from(9)
• list_for_each_entry_safe(9)
• list_for_each_entry_safe_continue(9)
• list_for_each_entry_safe_from(9)
• list_for_each_entry_safe_reverse(9)
• list_safe_reset_next(9)
• hlist_for_each_entry(9)
• hlist_for_each_entry_continue(9)
• hlist_for_each_entry_from(9)
• hlist_for_each_entry_safe(9)
• list_del_range(9)
• list_for_each_from(9)

That's the whole page, bestie: source/version ./tools/include/linux, date October 2026, page list_empty_careful(9). Slay and stay synchronized 💖✨