security_inode_link(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

okay so bestie, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and the star of the show is security_inode_link — yes, that whole LSM security-hook situation, but make it specifically about hard links 🫶

🌸 NAME 🌸

security_inode_link — the vibe check that decides whether making a hard link is allowed 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

       int security_inode_link (struct dentry *old_dentry , struct inode *dir ,
       struct dentry *new_dentry );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • old_dentry — the file that already exists, aka the one you're linking from 💖
  • dir — the new parent directory, where the new link is gonna live 🏠
  • new_dentry — the actual new link, the fresh little name being created ✨

⭐ DESCRIPTION ⭐

So basically: this hook checks permission before a new hard link to a file gets created. That's it, that's the whole job — a little pre-flight permission check, lowkey iconic 👑

🔥 RETURN 🔥

It returns 0 if permission is granted 🎉 (like, it said yes, go off bestie).

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

okay so this list is long — like, main-character-long — and we are not skipping a single one, so buckle up bestie, every single reference is right here in order, fr fr 💜

First up, the kernel file itself: ./security/security.c

Then the whole LSM allocation crew:

Then the whole security-hook saga, in order:

and that's the whole page bestie, every last reference accounted for, no cap 💅✨

this cutie came from ./security, version dated October 2026, and it's filed under security_inode_link(9) — go forth and link responsibly 🫶💖🎀

📦 where this page comes from