STRUCT BINFMT_MISC_INTERP(9)

✨ NAME ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the struct binfmt_misc_interp(9) page from the Kernel API Manual 💅 this struct is literally an interpreter that an entry was registered with. no cap, that’s the whole vibe.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

the struct itself is giving very structured, very “look at my fields” energy:

struct binfmt_misc_interp {
    struct list_head        list;
    struct file             *file;
    struct ucounts          *ucounts;
    const char              *path;
    char name[];
};

🫶 Members 🫶

• list — the link in the entry’s list, in registration order. it’s literally sitting in line where it was registered 🎀
• file — the file, opened at registration and never resolved again. once it’s opened, that’s it, periodt.
• ucounts — the UCOUNT_BINFMT_MISC_INTERPRETERS charge the binding took. yes bestie, it’s keeping track of that charge 💜
• path — the path it was registered under, used as the name the interpreter runs under; stored after name in the same allocation. so it’s lowkey sharing the allocation with name — iconic budgeting ✨
• name — the name the load program selects it by; empty for the fixed interpreter of a static 'F' entry. if it’s that static 'F' situation, this one is just empty 🙈

💖 Description 💖

it’s owned by the entry and lives exactly as long as the entry does — same lifespan, matching energy, no extra lingering 🦋

the list head is handed to the handler’s load program for the duration of one exec, and that program picks one with bpf_binprm_select_interp. that’s the whole selection moment, and honestly? slay 💅

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

go peek at the kernel file ./include/linux/binfmt_misc.h, plus enum bpf_binprm_flags(9) and struct binfmt_misc_ops(9) — that’s the squad, iykyk 🫶

signing off from ./include/linux — October 2026, struct binfmt_misc_interp(9), Kernel API Manual. mwah 💋✨