release_tty(9)

💖 release_tty(9) 💖

okay so this is the Kernel API Manual page for release_tty(9), and honestly bestie, it’s short but it matters 💅. Let’s get into it.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

release_tty — release tty structure memory. periodt.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void release_tty (struct tty_struct *tty , int idx );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• tty — the tty device release. that’s the main character right there 🫶
• idx — the index of the tty device release. iconic little number ✨

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so release_tty releases both the tty and a possible linked partner (think pty pair), and decrements the refcount of the backing module. slay, no cap 💖

Locking: tty_mutex takes the file list lock internally when working on the list of ttys that the driver keeps. lowkey important, highkey noted 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file: ./drivers/tty/tty_io.c

the whole SEE ALSO squad is: free_tty_struct(9), tty_free_file(9), tty_name(9), get_tty_driver(9), tty_dev_name_to_number(9), tty_find_polling_driver(9), tty_wakeup(9), tty_release_redirect(9), __tty_hangup(9), tty_hangup(9), tty_vhangup(9), tty_vhangup_self(9), tty_vhangup_session(9), tty_hung_up_p(9), stop_tty(9), start_tty(9), tty_read(9), tty_write(9), tty_send_xchar(9), pty_line_name(9), tty_line_name(9), tty_driver_lookup_tty(9), tty_init_termios(9), tty_standard_install(9), tty_driver_install_tty(9), tty_driver_remove_tty(9), tty_reopen(9), tty_init_dev(9), tty_save_termios(9), tty_flush_works(9), release_one_tty(9), tty_kref_put(9), tty_release_checks(9), tty_kclose(9), tty_release_struct(9), tty_release(9), tty_open_current_tty(9), tty_lookup_driver(9), tty_kopen_exclusive(9), tty_kopen_shared(9), tty_open_by_driver(9), tty_open(9), tty_poll(9), tiocsti(9), tiocgwinsz(9), tty_do_resize(9), tiocswinsz(9), tioccons(9), tiocsetd(9), tiocgetd(9), send_break(9), tty_get_tiocm(9), tty_tiocmget(9), tty_tiocmset(9), tty_get_icount(9), alloc_tty_struct(9), tty_put_char(9), tty_register_device(9), tty_register_device_attr(9), tty_unregister_device(9), __tty_alloc_driver(9), tty_driver_kref_put(9), tty_register_driver(9), tty_unregister_driver(9).

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that’s the whole page, bestie — with love from ./drivers/tty · dated October 2026 · stamped release_tty(9) 🫶💖