STRUCT SKCIPHER_REQUEST(9)

🦋 struct skcipher_request(9) 🦋

okay so this is straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and today's main character is struct skcipher_request — literally the request object for symmetric key ciphers. bestie, this is the thing you hand to the kernel when you're like "hey. encrypt this. or decrypt this. idk you decide." 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

struct skcipher_request — Symmetric key cipher request 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct skcipher_request {
    unsigned int cryptlen;
    u8 *iv;
    struct scatterlist *src;
    struct scatterlist *dst;
    struct crypto_async_request base;
    void *__ctx[];
 };

look at her. she's iconic. she's a struct. no cap, this is the whole shape of it, character for character, don't touch anything 👑

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🫶 Members 🫶

• cryptlen — the number of bytes to encrypt or decrypt. so like, how much crypto we're doing. the byte count, periodt. 📏
• iv — the Initialisation Vector. yes, that IV. the lil random-ish starting block that makes your cipher not boring and repetitive 🙈
• src — the Source SG list (scatterlist). where the data's coming from 💖
• dst — the Destination SG list (scatterlist). where the data's going to 💫
• base — the underlying async request, of type struct crypto_async_request. this is the async plumbing underneath, the backstage crew of the whole operation 🎬
• __ctx — start of private context data. it's an array (void *__ctx[]), and it's where the private stuff begins. iykyk 🔥

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💀 SEE ALSO 💀

like, go read these too, they're all in the Kernel file ./include/crypto/skcipher.h:

• struct skcipher_alg(9)
• struct lskcipher_alg(9)
• Symmetric Key Cipher API(9)
• crypto_alloc_skcipher(9)
• crypto_alloc_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_free_skcipher(9)
• crypto_free_lskcipher(9)
• crypto_has_skcipher(9)
• crypto_skcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_ivsize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_blocksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_chunksize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_statesize(9)
• crypto_skcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_setkey(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqtfm(9)
• crypto_skcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_decrypt(9)
• crypto_skcipher_export(9)
• crypto_skcipher_import(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_encrypt(9)
• crypto_lskcipher_decrypt(9)
• Symmetric Key Cipher Request Handle(9)
• crypto_skcipher_reqsize(9)
• skcipher_request_set_tfm(9)
• skcipher_request_alloc(9)
• skcipher_request_free(9)
• skcipher_request_set_callback(9)
• skcipher_request_set_crypt(9)

that's the whole friend group, go say hi 🌈

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lowkey a whole reading list, but that's what the kernel docs are for bestie 🧚 study up!

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and that's the page!! this one lives in ./include/crypto and it's dated October 2026 — mwah, bye, go encrypt something responsibly 💜🍓⭐