STRUCT RISCV_IMAGE_HEADER(9)

🌸 struct riscv_image_header(9) 🌸

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual — we're doing the RISC-V corner of the kernel today and honestly? it's giving iconic. this is struct riscv_image_header, aka the riscv kernel image header, and it's lowkey the first thing anyone reads when they wanna know what's inside a RISC-V kernel image. main character energy fr fr 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

struct riscv_image_header — the riscv kernel image header. that's it, that's the vibe 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

no cap, here's the whole thing, character for character, don't touch it:

struct riscv_image_header {
    u32 code0;
    u32 code1;
    u64 text_offset;
    u64 image_size;
    u64 flags;
    u32 version;
    u32 res1;
    u64 res2;
    u64 magic;
    u32 magic2;
    u32 res3;
 };

like… look at her. all those fields. so organized. we stan a well-structured struct 💜

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👑 Members 👑

time for the member-by-member breakdown, pls pay attention bestie:

• code0 — Executable code 💖
• code1 — Executable code 💖 (yes, again — twins, periodt)
• text_offset — Image load offset (little endian)
• image_size — Effective Image size (little endian)
• flags — kernel flags (little endian)
• version — version
• res1 — reserved 🙈
• res2 — reserved 🙈
• magic — Magic number (RISC-V specific; deprecated) ⚠️ deprecated, bestie — noted, not ignored
• magic2 — Magic number 2 (to match the ARM64 'magic' field pos)
• res3 — reserved (will be used for PE COFF offset)

ngl the three "reserved" fields are just seat-warmers sitting there looking pretty, and res3 has a whole future career lined up as a PE COFF offset. we love a glow-up in progress 🌈

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🧚 Description 🧚

okay so the whole intention here — and this is the important bit — is for this header format to be shared between multiple architectures, specifically so we don't get a whole proliferation of image header formats. one header, many archs, no chaos. slay 💅✨

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💀 SEE ALSO 💀

• Kernel file ./arch/riscv/include/asm/image.h — go read the actual header, it's right there, iykyk 🫶

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and that's the tea, bestie 🍓 this lil page came to you straight from the Kernel API Manual, filed under ./arch/riscv/include/asm, and it's dated October 2026 — so mark your calendar, screenshot it, send it to the group chat, whatever you gotta do. you understood it, you ate, periodt 💖🎀🦋⭐