ns_cmp(9)

💅 ns_cmp(9)

okay bestie, so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual — yes, the ns_cmp(9) one, we're doing this, we're thriving ✨

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🎀 NAME 🎀

ns_cmp — literally just compares ns for label set ordering. that's the whole vibe, that's the assignment 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int ns_cmp (struct aa_ns *a , struct aa_ns *b );

look at her. two pointers in, one int out. iconic behavior tbh 🫶

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• a — the ns you wanna compare. NOT NULL — like, do not pass her a null, i'm begging 😭
• b — the other ns you wanna compare. also NOT NULL, same energy, no cap 🙈

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🌈 RETURN 🌈

so the return value is doing the classic three-way thing, keep up:

• <0 if a < b
• ==0 if a == b
• >0 if a > b

fr fr that's it, that's the whole mood 💖

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

bestie there are SO many siblings, get comfy, this is a whole family reunion 👑

• profile_cmp(9)
• vec_cmp(9)
• aa_vec_unique(9)
• aa_label_alloc(9)
• label_cmp(9)
• __aa_label_next_not_in_set(9)
• aa_label_is_subset(9)
• aa_label_is_unconfined_subset(9)
• __label_remove(9)
• __label_replace(9)
• __label_insert(9)
• __vec_find(9)
• __label_find(9)
• aa_label_remove(9)
• aa_label_replace(9)
• vec_find(9)
• aa_label_insert(9)
• aa_label_next_in_merge(9)
• label_merge_cmp(9)
• label_merge_insert(9)
• labelset_of_merge(9)
• __label_find_merge(9)
• aa_label_find_merge(9)
• aa_label_merge(9)
• label_compound_match(9)
• label_components_match(9)
• aa_label_match(9)
• aa_update_label_name(9)
• aa_profile_snxprint(9)
• aa_label_snxprint(9)
• aa_label_asxprint(9)
• aa_label_acntsxprint(9)
• aa_label_strn_parse(9)
• aa_labelset_destroy(9)
• __label_update(9)
• __labelset_update(9)
• __aa_labelset_update_subtree(9)

also, for the record, this all lives in the kernel file ./security/apparmor/label.c 👀

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okay that's the page!! shoutout to ./security/apparmor and the October 2026 date stamp for being here with us, mwah 💜🧚 hope this made sense, ily, go compare some ns 🍓⭐