shrink_dcache_tree(9)

💅 shrink_dcache_tree — prune dcache

okay bestie, so we're in the kernel API manual (shrink_dcache_tree(9)) and this one is a whole function, not a command. it lives over in ./fs and honestly? iconic of it.

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✨ NAME ✨

shrink_dcache_tree — prune dcache 🌸

like, literally just prune the dcache. that's the vibe. no cap.

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🫶 SYNOPSIS 🫶

void shrink_dcache_tree (struct dentry *parent , bool for_umount );

returns nothing (void), takes two things, and it's giving "small function, big responsibility" energy fr fr.

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• parent — the parent of the entries we're gonna prune. yes she's the main character here, everything happens under her 👑
• for_umount — a bool. set it to true if we want to unpin the persistent ones. that's the whole lore. 💀

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🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

Prune the dcache to remove unused children of the parent dentry. that's it. that's the function. she goes in, she clears out the unused children, she leaves. lowkey obsessed with how clean that is ✨

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the kernel file ./fs/dcache.c and literally the entire dcache friend group — everyone's invited, it's a whole group chat:

• d_drop(9)
• dentry_kill(9)
• __move_to_shrink_list(9)
• d_find_any_alias(9)
• d_find_alias(9)
• prune_dcache_sb(9)
• shrink_dcache_sb(9)
• enum d_walk_ret(9)
• d_walk(9)
• path_has_submounts(9)
• d_invalidate(9)
• __d_alloc(9)
• d_alloc(9)
• d_alloc_pseudo(9)
• d_instantiate(9)
• d_obtain_alias(9)
• d_obtain_root(9)
• d_add_ci(9)
• d_same_name(9)
• __d_lookup_rcu(9)
• d_lookup(9)
• __d_lookup(9)
• d_hash_and_lookup(9)
• d_delete(9)
• d_rehash(9)
• d_add(9)
• d_ancestor(9)
• d_splice_alias(9)
• is_subdir(9)

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okay that's the page!! 🎀 this one's from ./fs, dated October 2026, and it's shrink_dcache_tree(9) — go prune some unused children bestie, ily, bye 💖🧚