snd_pcm_hw_param_near(9)

🎀 NAME 🎀

snd_pcm_hw_param_near — bestie, this is the "find me the closest thing that works" function, okurrr ✨ (the man page itself leaves the one-liner blank, so we're just vibing with the name, no cap 💅)

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int snd_pcm_hw_param_near (struct snd_pcm_substream *pcm , struct
snd_pcm_hw_params *params , snd_pcm_hw_param_t var , unsigned int best ,
int *dir );

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• pcm — the PCM instance 🎧 like, the actual sound-stream situation we're working with.
• params — the hw_params instance, aka the whole configuration-space playground we're about to narrow down 🎀
• var — the parameter you wanna retrieve, bestie. which knob are we turning?
• best — the value to set 🔥 this is the dream number we're aiming for.
• dir — pointer to the direction, and the allowed vibes are (-1,0,1) — or just pass NULL and let it be 🙈

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so picture this: there's a configuration space defined by PARAMS, right? Inside that space, this function sets PAR to the available value that's nearest to VAL — literally the closest match it can find 🎯 Then it reduces the configuration space accordingly, so the space gets tightened up as a result. Slay.

🚨 BIG IMPORTANT NO-NO: you cannot call this function for SNDRV_PCM_HW_PARAM_ACCESS, SNDRV_PCM_HW_PARAM_FORMAT, or SNDRV_PCM_HW_PARAM_SUBFORMAT. Like, not allowed. Don't do it. It's giving "off-limits" 💀

And the best part? It returns the value found 👑 so you get the answer handed right back to you. Periodt.

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Kernel file ./sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c — and the whole friend group:

• snd_pcm_hw_param_value_min(9)
• snd_pcm_hw_param_value_max(9)
• snd_pcm_hw_param_min(9)
• snd_pcm_hw_param_max(9)
• snd_pcm_hw_param_set(9)

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k that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 this little gem lives in ./sound/core/oss and it's dated October 2026 — iconic behavior, honestly 🌈⭐💜