snd_pcm_hw_params_choose(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 snd_pcm_hw_params_choose(9) — a Kernel API Manual moment

okay so bestie, welcome to the glow-up of snd_pcm_hw_params_choose(9) from the Kernel API Manual — it's a whole function that picks a config for you and honestly it's giving "let the kernel decide" main character energy 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

snd_pcm_hw_params_choose — choose a configuration defined by @params

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int snd_pcm_hw_params_choose (struct snd_pcm_substream *pcm , struct
snd_pcm_hw_params *params );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • pcm — the PCM instance, aka the whole vibe you're working with 💖
  • params — the hw_params instance, aka the config list it's gonna pick from

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So here's the tea: this function chooses one configuration out of the configuration space that params defines. Just one. It's picking its outfit for the day 👑

And the way it picks? It's not random, bestie, it's ordered. The configuration chosen is the one you get by fixing things in exactly this order:

  1. first access
  2. first format
  3. first subformat
  4. min channels
  5. min rate
  6. min period time
  7. max buffer size
  8. min tick time

Like literally in that order, no skipping, no swapping. Periodt. 💅

⭐ RETURN ⭐

Zero if successful (slay), or a negative error code on failure (not slay 😭).

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

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

k bye ily, this page lives in ./sound/core and it's stamped October 2026 — go forth and pick your first access, first format, first subformat, min channels, min rate, min period time, max buffer size, min tick time, in that order, always 🫶✨

📦 where this page comes from