snd_card_ref(9)

✨ NAME ✨

snd_card_ref — bestie, this is literally how you grab the card object from the index 💅

(also hi, welcome to the Kernel API Manual, we're doing kernel lore today and it's gonna slay)

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct snd_card * snd_card_ref (int idx );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• idx — the card index. that's it. that's the whole vibe. it's an int, it's an index, it points at a card 🫶

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea ☕ — this function returns a card object that corresponds to the given index. and if nothing's there? not found? it hands you back NULL and you just have to deal with that emotionally 😭

and listen, this part is important, don't skip it: when you're done with that object, release it via snd_card_unref. no cap. that's the whole cleanup contract, it's giving responsible main character energy 👑

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

a card object — or NULL. those are the two options, iconic either way 💀

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

the kernel file ./sound/core/init.c and the whole friend group of related calls, all of them, no gatekeeping:

• snd_device_alloc(9)
• snd_card_new(9)
• snd_devm_card_new(9)
• snd_card_free_on_error(9)
• snd_card_disconnect(9)
• snd_card_disconnect_sync(9)
• snd_card_free_when_closed(9)
• snd_card_free(9)
• snd_card_set_id(9)
• snd_card_add_dev_attr(9)
• snd_card_register(9)
• snd_component_add(9)
• snd_card_file_add(9)
• snd_card_file_remove(9)
• snd_power_ref_and_wait(9)
• snd_power_wait(9)

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reminder bestie: get your ref, do your thing, then snd_card_unref. the ref does not unref itself, sadly, we've all tried 🙈

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okay that's the whole page!! this gem lives in ./sound/core and it's dated October 2026 — so go forth, ref responsibly, and remember: snd_card_ref(9) ate and left no crumbs 🌈💜🧚