ne_ioctl(9)

💅 ne_ioctl(9) — the Kernel API Manual, but make it make sense 💅

okay so bestie, welcome to ne_ioctl(9) — this is the ioctl function that the NE misc device hands you. "NE" = Nitro Enclaves, and this is the literal front door for ioctl calls on that misc device. it's giving gatekeeper energy, and honestly? iconic. 🔥

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

long ne_ioctl (struct file *file , unsigned int cmd , unsigned long arg
);

look at her. three args, one long return. simple, clean, slay. 🫶

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• file — the file that's associated with this ioctl function. like, the actual file handle that walked in the door. 💅
• cmd — the command that's set for the ioctl call. this is the "what do you want me to do" of it all. 👑
• arg — the argument that's provided for the ioctl call. the little sidecar of extra info riding along with cmd. ✨

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🦋 CONTEXT 🦋

Process context. that's it, that's the whole vibe check — process context, no cap. no interrupt nonsense, no atomic weirdness to stress about here, it's just process context. 🌸

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

• Ioctl result (e.g. enclave file descriptor) on success — so like, sometimes you literally get an enclave file descriptor back, which is a whole gift. 🎁
• Negative return value on failure — sad girl hours, something went wrong, it's negative. 😭

fr fr, negative means it did NOT eat. check it before you go doing anything with the result.

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

the whole friend group, incoming. and yes, every single one of them is getting their moment:

• Kernel file ./drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves/ne_misc_dev.c Enclave lifetime management driver for Nitro Enclaves (NE).(9)
• NE_CPUS_SIZE(9)
• NE_EIF_LOAD_OFFSET(9)
• NE_MIN_ENCLAVE_MEM_SIZE(9)
• NE_MIN_MEM_REGION_SIZE(9)
• NE_PARENT_VM_CID(9)
• struct ne_cpu_pool(9)
• struct ne_phys_contig_mem_regions(9)
• ne_check_enclaves_created(9)
• ne_setup_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_teardown_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_set_kernel_param(9)
• ne_donated_cpu(9)
• ne_get_unused_core_from_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_set_enclave_threads_per_core(9)
• ne_get_cpu_from_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_get_vcpu_core_from_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_check_cpu_in_cpu_pool(9)
• ne_add_vcpu_ioctl(9)
• ne_sanity_check_user_mem_region(9)
• ne_sanity_check_user_mem_region_page(9)
• ne_sanity_check_phys_mem_region(9)
• ne_merge_phys_contig_memory_regions(9)
• ne_set_user_memory_region_ioctl(9)
• ne_start_enclave_ioctl(9)
• ne_enclave_ioctl(9)
• ne_enclave_remove_all_mem_region_entries(9)
• ne_enclave_remove_all_vcpu_id_entries(9)
• ne_pci_dev_remove_enclave_entry(9)
• ne_enclave_release(9)
• ne_enclave_poll(9)
• ne_create_vm_ioctl(9)

no skipping, no summarising — the whole squad is here and they all ate. 🍓💫

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that's the page, bestie!! this one lives over in ./drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves, dated October 2026, and it's filed under ne_ioctl(9) — go read the driver, ily, bye!! 🧚‍♀️🌈💖