skcipher_request_alloc(9)

💅 skcipher_request_alloc(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition 🎀

okay so this is skcipher_request_alloc, straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and it's genuinely one of the first things you'll touch when you're doing symmetric key cipher stuff. it's giving "allocator era" ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

skcipher_request_alloc — allocate request data structure 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct skcipher_request * skcipher_request_alloc (struct crypto_skcipher
*tfm , gfp_t gfp );

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💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• tfm — the cipher handle that's gonna get registered with the request 🫶 like, this is the crypto you're bringing to the party.
• gfp — the memory allocation flag, which gets handed straight to kmalloc by the API call. basically the "how hard should I try to get memory" vibe check 💀

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

Allocate the request data structure — the one you must use with the skcipher encrypt and decrypt API calls. no substitutions, no DIY-ing it, periodt.

During the allocation, the skcipher handle you passed in gets registered in the request data structure. so tfm goes in, request comes out, everything's linked up and iconic 💅

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

• you get the allocated request handle back in case of success 🎉
• or NULL if out of memory 😭 (yes, that's a real outcome, plan accordingly)

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

okay this list is a journey, so buckle up bestie — and don't skip it, it's lowkey the whole ecosystem:

• Kernel file ./include/crypto/skcipher.h 📁
• struct skcipher_request(9)
• struct skcipher_alg(9)
• struct lskcipher_alg(9)
• Symmetric Key Cipher API(9)
• crypto_alloc_skcipher(9)
• crypto_alloc_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_free_skcipher(9)
• crypto_free_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_has_skcipher(9)
• crypto_skcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqtfm(9)
• crypto_skcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_decrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_export(9)
• crypto_skcipher_import(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_decrypt(9)
• Symmetric Key Cipher Request Handle(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqsize(9)
• skcipher_request_set_tfm(9)
• skcipher_request_free(9)
• skcipher_request_set_callback(9)
• skcipher_request_set_crypt(9)

that's right, the whole friend group 🫶 iykyk.

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anyway, this page lives in ./include/crypto, dated October 2026, and that's the whole manual — mwah, go allocate something cute 💋🧚‍♀️