raw_atomic_sub_return(9)

💅 raw_atomic_sub_return(9) — from the Kernel API Manual 🎀

okay so bestie, welcome to the raw_atomic_sub_return(9) page 💖 this lil cutie lives in the Kernel API Manual and honestly? she's that girl. let's get into it ✨

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🦋 NAME

raw_atomic_sub_return — atomic subtract with full ordering. periodt. that's the whole vibe.

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✨ SYNOPSIS

int raw_atomic_sub_return (int i , atomic_t *v );

like, look at her. two args, one very important return value 💅

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🌸 ARGUMENTS

• i — the int value you're subtracting. the amount you're taking away, no cap 🍓
• v — pointer to atomic_t. this is the one getting updated, bestie, so be nice to her 🫶

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💜 DESCRIPTION

she atomically updates v to (v - i) with full ordering. yes, full ordering — the whole ~vibe check~ is ordered, nothing gets reordered behind your back 🙈

she's also safe to use in noinstr code 👑 which is huge for her. but like, everywhere else? prefer atomic_sub_return instead. ngl, that's the actual guidance. raw_atomic_sub_return is the lowkey special-purpose one, iykyk 💀

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⭐ RETURN

The updated value of v. 💖 like, the value she becomes after the subtraction — not the old one. read the room, not the past ✨

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🔥 SEE ALSO

sooooo she has a whole extended friend group, and we're listing every single one because we're not skipping anybody, not on my watch 🎀

Kernel file:

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

and the whole squad:

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_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), raw_atomic_dec_if_positive(9),
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)

like… that's a lot of friends and I respect every single one of them 💀🫶

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🧚 sign-off 🎀

this page comes from ./include/linux/atomic, dated October 2026, and it's literally raw_atomic_sub_return(9) herself signing off 💖 slay, stay ordered, and remember to prefer atomic_sub_return outside of noinstr code, bestie ✨🌈👑