STRUCT GPIO_DESC(9)

💅 struct gpio_desc(9) — like, the actual Kernel API Manual, bestie ✨

okay so we're in the Kernel API Manual today and the main character is struct gpio_desc — the opaque descriptor for a GPIO 👑 no cap, that's the whole vibe.

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🎀 NAME 🎀

struct gpio_desc — an opaque descriptor for a GPIO. that's it, that's the tweet 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

here's the whole glow-up, copy it exactly, don't touch a single space or the compiler WILL clock you 💀

struct gpio_desc {
    struct gpio_device      *gdev;
    unsigned long           flags;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_REQUESTED            0  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_IS_OUT               1  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_EXPORT               2  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_SYSFS                3  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_ACTIVE_LOW           6  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_OPEN_DRAIN           7  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_OPEN_SOURCE          8  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_USED_AS_IRQ          9  ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_IRQ_IS_ENABLED       10 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_IS_HOGGED            11 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_TRANSITORY           12 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_PULL_UP              13 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_PULL_DOWN            14 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_BIAS_DISABLE         15 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_EDGE_RISING          16 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_EDGE_FALLING         17 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_EVENT_CLOCK_REALTIME 18 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_EVENT_CLOCK_HTE      19 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_SHARED               20 ;
  #define GPIOD_FLAG_SHARED_PROXY         21 ;
    struct gpio_desc_label *label;
    const char              *name;
  #ifdef CONFIG_OF_DYNAMIC;
    struct device_node      *hog;
  #endif;
  #ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_CDEV;
    unsigned int            debounce_period_us;
  #endif;
 };

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🫶 Members 🫶

the whole squad, one by one, iykyk:

• gdev — pointer to the parent GPIO device. the mothership 🛸
• flags — binary descriptor flags. yes, binary, as in bits go brrr 🔥
• label — name of the consumer. who's using this line, fr fr
• name — line name. the line's own little name tag 🏷️
• hog — pointer to the device node that hogs this line (if any). greedy little thing, love that for it 🙈
• debounce_period_us — debounce period in microseconds. tiny tiny time, iconic ⏱️

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💖 Description 💖

okay so the lore: these are obtained using gpiod_get and are preferable to the old integer-based handles. we don't do integer handles anymore bestie, that's so last season 💅

and here's the part that eats: contrary to integers, a pointer to a struct gpio_desc is guaranteed to be valid until the GPIO is released. so you can hold onto it like a best friend promise 🫶 lowkey the whole point.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read these next, bestie, i'm obsessed:

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpio/gpiolib.h
• struct gpio_device(9)
• struct gpio_array(9)

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ngl the descriptor is opaque — so like, admire it from the outside, don't go poking at its internals like it's your business. 🧚

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and that's the page, periodt 🎀 this cutie lives in ./drivers/gpio and it's dated October 2026 — struct gpio_desc(9), slay, bye 💜