prepare_kernel_cred(9)

💅 prepare_kernel_cred — like, the kernel API manual, bestie ✨

Okay so real talk, this page is prepare_kernel_cred(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and it's honestly kind of a big deal, so let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

prepare_kernel_cred — prepare a set of credentials for a kernel service ✨

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

struct cred * prepare_kernel_cred (struct task_struct *daemon );

Like, that's the whole vibe. One function, one argument, infinite possibilities 💅

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• daemon — a userspace daemon to be used as a reference 👑

That's it. That's the argument. She's simple, she's iconic, she's doing the most with the least 💖

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So the whole point of this function is: prepare a set of credentials for a kernel service, periodt. And then once you've got those creds, you can use them to override a task's own credentials so that work can be done on behalf of that task that requires a different subjective context. It's giving main character energy for the kernel ngl 😭

Okay so daemon is used to provide a base cred, with the security data derived from that. Now here's the tea 🍵 — if this is "init_task", they'll be set to 0, no groups, full capabilities, and no keys. Like, full send. Maximum power, zero friends, zero keys. Iconic behavior honestly 🔥

The caller may change these controls afterwards if desired — so like, you're not locked in, bestie, you can absolutely tweak it after the fact 💅

And for the big question everyone asks: returns the new credentials or NULL if out of memory 😭 So vibe check your return value, fr fr. If it's NULL, you're out of memory and that's not a slay.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./kernel/cred.c — yes, go read the source, iykyk 📖

• __put_cred(9)
• get_task_cred(9)
• prepare_creds(9)
• commit_creds(9)
• abort_creds(9)
• cred_fscmp(9)
• set_security_override(9)
• set_create_files_as(9)

Like literally the whole cred friend group, they all ate 💜🧚

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Bestie warning: this is kernel-land, so treat those credentials with respect — you're messing with a task's subjective context and that's highkey serious business 💀

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And that's the page! Brought to you from ./kernel, dated October 2026, and it's prepare_kernel_cred(9) — go forth and credential responsibly, mwah 💋🎀⭐