smk_write_rules_list(9)

💅 smk_write_rules_list — like, the write() for literally any /smack rule file, bestie (kernel API manual, note 9 section, okurrr)

Okay so picture this: you're in the kernel, you're in Smack land, and every single /smack rule file needs a write() handler. This is that handler. It's the one that catches your text and turns it into actual access rules. Slay. 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ssize_t smk_write_rules_list (struct file *file , const char __user *buf
, size_t count , loff_t *ppos , struct list_head *rule_list , struct
mutex *rule_lock , int format );

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• file — the file pointer. Not actually used. She's just here for the vibes 🙈 (yes fr, she's decorative).
• buf — where to get the data from. This is your moment, the actual payload.
• count — bytes sent. How much you're giving her.
• ppos — where to start — and it must be 0. No partial reads, no games. Zero. Periodt.
• rule_list — the list of rules to write to. The destination, the main character 🫶
• rule_lock — lock for the rule list. Protect her at all costs 🔒
• format — which flavour you want: /smack/load or /smack/load2 or /smack/change-rule format.

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So the whole job is: get one smack access rule from above 💅. That's it. That's the task. But the formatting? That depends entirely on format, and each one is a different girl:

SMK_LONG_FMT — the flexible icon:

"subject<whitespace>object<whitespace>access[<whitespace>...]"

SMK_FIXED24_FMT — she is exactly this, no more no less, do not improvise:

"subject                 object rwxat"

SMK_CHANGE_FMT — the two-sided queen, enable and disable:

"subject<whitespace>object<whitespace> acc_enable<whitespace>acc_disable[<whitespace>...]"

Lowkey important: <whitespace> means whitespace, and that [<whitespace>...] means the trailing stuff is allowed to just keep going. Don't fight her on it ✨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./security/smack/smackfs.c — go read the source, iykyk 📖. And then the whole extended friend group:

smk_netlabel_audit_set(9), smk_set_access(9), smk_perm_from_str(9), smk_fill_rule(9), smk_parse_rule(9), smk_parse_long_rule(9), smk_open_load(9), smk_write_load(9), smk_cipso_doi(9), smk_unlbl_ambient(9), smk_open_cipso(9), smk_set_cipso(9), smk_write_cipso(9), smk_open_cipso2(9), smk_write_cipso2(9), smk_open_net4addr(9), smk_net4addr_insert(9), smk_write_net4addr(9), smk_open_net6addr(9), smk_net6addr_insert(9), smk_write_net6addr(9), smk_read_doi(9), smk_write_doi(9), smk_read_cipso_auto_level(9), smk_write_cipso_auto_level(9), smk_read_ambient(9), smk_write_ambient(9), smk_list_swap_rcu(9), smk_parse_label_list(9), smk_destroy_label_list(9), smk_write_onlycap(9), smk_read_unconfined(9), smk_write_unconfined(9), smk_read_logging(9), smk_write_logging(9), smk_open_load_self(9), smk_write_load_self(9), smk_user_access(9), smk_write_access(9), smk_open_load2(9), smk_write_load2(9), smk_open_load_self2(9), smk_write_load_self2(9), smk_write_access2(9), smk_write_revoke_subj(9), smk_init_sysfs(9), smk_write_change_rule(9), smk_read_syslog(9), smk_write_syslog(9), smk_open_relabel_self(9), smk_write_relabel_self(9), smk_read_ptrace(9), smk_write_ptrace(9), smk_fill_super(9), smk_get_tree(9), smk_init_fs_context(9), init_smk_fs(9)

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That's the whole page, bestie — mwah 💋 Sourced straight from ./security/smack, dated October 2026, and this was smk_write_rules_list(9) in the Kernel API Manual. Go be iconic with your rules 🧚‍♀️🌸