snd_card_new(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

🎀 snd_card_new(9) — Kernel API Manual 🎀

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual, and today's main character is snd_card_new(9) 💅 like literally the function that brings a soundcard into existence. no cap, it's giving creation energy.

✨ NAME ✨

snd_card_new — create and initialize a soundcard structure 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int snd_card_new (struct device *parent , int idx , const char *xid ,
       struct module *module , int extra_size , struct snd_card **card_ret );

like, that's the whole vibe. six args, one soundcard, zero regrets ✨

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • parent — the parent device object, aka who's your daddy device 👑
  • idx — the card index (address), and the range is literally [0 ... (SNDRV_CARDS-1)], don't push it 🚫
  • xid — the card identification, and it's an ASCII string bestie, keep it simple 🎀
  • module — the top level module, for locking 🔒
  • extra_size — allocate this extra size after the main soundcard structure, so your driver has room to be free and do its thing 🌈
  • card_ret — the pointer to store the created card instance, that's where the baby goes 🍼

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the function allocates the snd_card instance via kzalloc with the given space for the driver to use freely — yes, freely, it's your playground 🛝 and the allocated struct is stored in the given card_ret pointer. iconic behaviour, honestly.

🔥 RETURN 🔥

Zero if successful, or a negative error code 😭 so like, check it. fr fr.

💀 SEE ALSO 💀

Kernel file ./sound/core/init.c and the whole friend group:

ngl bestie, that's a lot of SEE ALSOs, but you got this 💪 go read 'em, iykyk.

okay that's the page!! this one's from ./sound/core, dated October 2026, and it's literally snd_card_new(9) — mwah, slay, go make some soundcards 💅🎀✨

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