snd_card_free_when_closed(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

🌸 snd_card_free_when_closed — NAME energy 🌸

okay so bestie, this page is from the Kernel API Manual (yes, the (9) is the section, that's just how kernel pages roll 💅), and it's about snd_card_free_when_closed — which literally does what it says on the tin: disconnect the card, free it later eventually. 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void snd_card_free_when_closed (struct snd_card *card );

that's it. one function, one argument, no chaos. we love a low-drama signature 🫶

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

  • card — the soundcard structure. that's the whole vibe. it's the thing you're trying to politely evict. 🦋

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so here's the tea, and it's giving ✨responsible resource management✨:

Unlike snd_card_free, this function doesn't try to release the card resource immediately — nope, not today — but tries to disconnect at first. it's the difference between "get out right now" and "okay pack your bags, we'll handle the rest later" 😌

When the card is still in use, the function returns before freeing the resources. so it just... leaves. no mess, no drama, no yanking the rug out from under whoever's still using it. 🙈

The card resources will be freed when the refcount gets to zero. that's it. that's the whole mechanic. it's a countdown and when it hits zero, the resources get their moment and go 🌈

ngl this is iconic behaviour — deferring the free until the last person leaves the party is genuinely main character energy, and it's also the safest way to not explode anything in kernel land 💀

🦋 RETURN 🦋

zero if successful, or a negative error code.

okay so real talk — the synopsis literally says void up there, and this section still tells you to check the return value. that's what this page says, i'm just the messenger 🫶 don't come for me, i'm not the kernel maintainer 💅

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./sound/core/init.c — go read it, it's the whole source of truth for this one 📖

like, that's the whole friend group right there — if you liked this one, you're gonna be obsessed with the rest of the snd_card_* cinematic universe 🔥

mwah 💋 that's the page, hope it slayed for you — brought to you by ./sound/core, October 2026, and the letter 9 (the section, bestie, it's always the section) 🎀✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from