set_nlink(9)

set_nlink(9) 🦋

okay so you found the Kernel API Manual page for set_nlink(9), and the manual name is folded in right here at the top like a little name tag. Welcome, bestie. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

set_nlink — directly set an inode's link count. periodt. 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void set_nlink (struct inode *inode , unsigned int nlink );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• inode — inode. literally the inode, bestie. 🫶
• nlink — new nlink (should be non-zero). yes, non-zero matters. 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so this is a low-level filesystem helper. its whole vibe is to replace any direct filesystem manipulation of i_nlink. that's the job. no cap. 🌈

ngl, “low-level filesystem helper” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, so treat it like main-character energy and don't go inventing extra behavior. it directly sets an inode's link count, and that is the whole page. 💖

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

Kernel file ./fs/inode.c, plus the whole squad: inode_init_always_gfp(9), alloc_inode(9), drop_nlink(9), clear_nlink(9), inc_nlink(9), inode_sb_list_add(9), __insert_inode_hash(9), __remove_inode_hash(9), evict_inodes(9), new_inode(9), unlock_new_inode(9), lock_two_nondirectories(9), unlock_two_nondirectories(9), inode_insert5(9), iget5_locked(9), iget5_locked_rcu(9), iget_locked(9), iunique(9), ihold(9), ilookup5_nowait(9), ilookup5(9), ilookup(9), find_inode_nowait(9), find_inode_rcu(9), find_inode_by_ino_rcu(9), iput(9), iput_not_last(9), bmap(9), inode_update_time(9), generic_update_time(9), atime_needs_update(9), file_remove_privs(9), current_time(9), file_update_time(9), file_modified_flags(9), file_modified(9), kiocb_modified(9), inode_init_owner(9), inode_owner_or_capable(9), inode_dio_wait(9), timestamp_truncate(9), inode_set_ctime_current(9), inode_set_ctime_deleg(9), in_group_or_capable(9), mode_strip_sgid(9), dump_inode(9). go read them if you want the full inode lore. 😭🔥

okay that's the whole page, bestie. cute sign-off time: the footer's source/version bit is ./fs, the date is October 2026, and the page is still set_nlink(9). slay. 💅🎀