raw_atomic_dec_if_positive(9)

💅 raw_atomic_dec_if_positive — Kernel API Manual

ok so bestie, you're in the raw_atomic_dec_if_positive(9) page of the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? this little function is such a vibe. it does one (1) thing and it does it iconically. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

raw_atomic_dec_if_positive — atomic decrement if positive, with full ordering 🔥

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int raw_atomic_dec_if_positive (atomic_t *v );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• v — pointer to atomic_t. that's it. that's the whole argument. she's low maintenance 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so here's the tea ☕ — if (v > 0), this bad boy atomically updates v to (v - 1) with full ordering. full ordering, bestie. she's giving main character energy and all the barriers she needs ✨

otherwise? if v isn't greater than zero, v is not modified and relaxed ordering is provided. so like... she looked at the situation, decided "not today", and gave you relaxed ordering instead. respectful. 🙈

it's also safe to use in noinstr code — which, iykyk, is a whole thing. but like, the page says prefer atomic_dec_if_positive elsewhere, so use the regular one for your normal everyday situations and save the raw_ one for when you genuinely need it, no cap 💀

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

the old value of (v - 1), regardless of whether v was updated. like — she's returning that thing either way, updated or not. consistent queen 👑

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

first up, the kernel file this lives near:

./include/linux/atomic/atomic-arch-fallback.h

and then... okay bestie, sit down, because the related-API list here is enormous and honestly iconic for it. here we go, in order, no skips, no cuts 💖

raw_atomic_read(9), raw_atomic_read_acquire(9), raw_atomic_set(9), raw_atomic_set_release(9), raw_atomic_add(9), raw_atomic_add_return(9), raw_atomic_add_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic_add_return_release(9), raw_atomic_add_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_fetch_add(9), raw_atomic_fetch_add_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_add_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_add_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_sub(9), raw_atomic_sub_return(9), raw_atomic_sub_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic_sub_return_release(9), raw_atomic_sub_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_fetch_sub(9), raw_atomic_fetch_sub_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_sub_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_sub_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_inc(9), raw_atomic_inc_return(9), raw_atomic_inc_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic_inc_return_release(9), raw_atomic_inc_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_fetch_inc(9), raw_atomic_fetch_inc_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_inc_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_inc_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_dec(9), raw_atomic_dec_return(9), raw_atomic_dec_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic_dec_return_release(9), raw_atomic_dec_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_fetch_dec(9), raw_atomic_fetch_dec_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_dec_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_dec_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_and(9), raw_atomic_fetch_and(9), raw_atomic_fetch_and_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_and_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_and_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_andnot(9), raw_atomic_fetch_andnot(9), raw_atomic_fetch_andnot_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_andnot_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_andnot_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_or(9), raw_atomic_fetch_or(9), raw_atomic_fetch_or_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_or_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_or_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_xor(9), raw_atomic_fetch_xor(9), raw_atomic_fetch_xor_acquire(9), raw_atomic_fetch_xor_release(9), raw_atomic_fetch_xor_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_xchg(9), raw_atomic_xchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic_xchg_release(9), raw_atomic_xchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_cmpxchg(9), raw_atomic_cmpxchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic_cmpxchg_release(9), raw_atomic_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_try_cmpxchg(9), raw_atomic_try_cmpxchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic_try_cmpxchg_release(9), raw_atomic_try_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_sub_and_test(9), raw_atomic_dec_and_test(9), raw_atomic_inc_and_test(9), raw_atomic_add_negative(9), raw_atomic_add_negative_acquire(9), raw_atomic_add_negative_release(9), raw_atomic_add_negative_relaxed(9), raw_atomic_fetch_add_unless(9), raw_atomic_add_unless(9), raw_atomic_inc_not_zero(9), raw_atomic_inc_unless_negative(9), raw_atomic_dec_unless_positive(9)

and the 64-bit girlies 💜:

raw_atomic64_read(9), raw_atomic64_read_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_set(9), raw_atomic64_set_release(9), raw_atomic64_add(9), raw_atomic64_add_return(9), raw_atomic64_add_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_add_return_release(9), raw_atomic64_add_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_add(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_add_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_add_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_add_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_sub(9), raw_atomic64_sub_return(9), raw_atomic64_sub_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_sub_return_release(9), raw_atomic64_sub_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_sub(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_sub_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_sub_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_sub_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_inc(9), raw_atomic64_inc_return(9), raw_atomic64_inc_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_inc_return_release(9), raw_atomic64_inc_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_inc(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_inc_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_inc_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_inc_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_dec(9), raw_atomic64_dec_return(9), raw_atomic64_dec_return_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_dec_return_release(9), raw_atomic64_dec_return_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_dec(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_dec_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_dec_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_dec_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_and(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_and(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_and_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_and_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_and_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_andnot(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_andnot(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_andnot_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_andnot_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_andnot_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_or(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_or(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_or_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_or_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_or_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_xor(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_xor(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_xor_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_xor_release(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_xor_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_xchg(9), raw_atomic64_xchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_xchg_release(9), raw_atomic64_xchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_cmpxchg(9), raw_atomic64_cmpxchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_cmpxchg_release(9), raw_atomic64_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_try_cmpxchg(9), raw_atomic64_try_cmpxchg_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_try_cmpxchg_release(9), raw_atomic64_try_cmpxchg_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_sub_and_test(9), raw_atomic64_dec_and_test(9), raw_atomic64_inc_and_test(9), raw_atomic64_add_negative(9), raw_atomic64_add_negative_acquire(9), raw_atomic64_add_negative_release(9), raw_atomic64_add_negative_relaxed(9), raw_atomic64_fetch_add_unless(9), raw_atomic64_add_unless(9), raw_atomic64_inc_not_zero(9), raw_atomic64_inc_unless_negative(9), raw_atomic64_dec_unless_positive(9), raw_atomic64_dec_if_positive(9)

whew 😭 that's the whole family tree and yes, every single one of them ate 💅

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and that's the page, bestie 🌈

this lil beauty lives in ./include/linux/atomic, dated October 2026 — so go forth and decrement responsibly, mwah 🎀💖✨