overlay_symbol_update(9)

💖 overlay_symbol_update(9) — Kernel API Manual 💖

okay bestie, we are in the Kernel API Manual and the page is overlay_symbol_update(9), so buckle up for a very specific little device-tree-overlay moment. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

overlay_symbol_update — update the symbols of base tree after a merge. 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

int overlay_symbol_update (void *fdt , void *fdto );

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• fdt — Base Device Tree blob. literally the base tree blob, bestie.
• fdto — Device tree overlay blob. the overlay blob in question, periodt.

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

okay so overlay_symbol_update updates the symbols of the base tree with the symbols of the applied overlay. no cap, that is the whole job.

This is the last step in the device tree overlay application process, and it is the step that allows the reference of overlay symbols by subsequent overlay operations. so after this, subsequent overlay operations can reference those overlay symbols. iconic. 🔥

🔥 RETURN 🔥

• 0 on success. slay.
• Negative error code on failure. 😭

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• Kernel file ./scripts/dtc/libfdt/fdt_overlay.c
• overlay_get_target_phandle(9)
• overlay_phandle_add_offset(9)
• overlay_adjust_node_phandles(9)
• overlay_adjust_local_phandles(9)
• overlay_update_local_node_references(9)
• overlay_update_local_references(9)
• overlay_fixup_one_phandle(9)
• overlay_fixup_phandle(9)
• overlay_fixup_phandles(9)
• overlay_adjust_local_conflicting_phandle(9)
• overlay_update_node_conflicting_references(9)
• overlay_update_local_conflicting_references(9)
• overlay_prevent_phandle_overwrite_node(9)
• overlay_prevent_phandle_overwrite(9)
• overlay_apply_node(9)
• overlay_merge(9)

mwah 💋 — cute little sign-off: this page comes from source ./scripts/dtc/libfdt, dated October 2026, and it is overlay_symbol_update(9). bye bestie 🫶