STRUCT V4L2_META_FORMAT(9)

✨ struct v4l2_meta_format(9) ✨

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual 💅 this is the whole entire glow-up on struct v4l2_meta_format, and honestly? it's giving "small struct, big main character energy" 🎀

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🌸 NAME 🌸

struct v4l2_meta_format — the metadata format definition, periodt ✨

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

struct v4l2_meta_format {
    __u32 dataformat;
    __u32 buffersize;
    __u32 width;
    __u32 height;
    __u32 bytesperline;
 };

like, five fields. five. and every single one of them matters, no filler 💖

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👑 Members 👑

• dataformat — the little endian four character code (fourcc) 🧚 this is the label on the tin, iykyk
• buffersize — the maximum size in bytes required for data 🔥 like, the biggest this thing is ever gonna get
• width — number of data units of data per line (valid for line based formats only, see format documentation) 🌈 sooo this one only counts if you're on a line based format, check the format docs bestie
• height — number of lines of data per buffer (valid for line based formats only) ⭐ again: line based formats only, don't come for me
• bytesperline — offset between the beginnings of two adjacent lines in bytes (valid for line based formats only) 💜 the gap between line starts, and yes, line based formats only, we said what we said

ngl the recurring theme here is line based formats only — if your format isn't line based, those last three are lowkey just vibes 🙈

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💀 SEE ALSO 💀

the kernel file ./include/uapi/linux/videodev2.h and literally the whole friend group:

• struct v4l2_capability(9)
• struct v4l2_plane(9)
• struct v4l2_buffer(9)
• v4l2_timeval_to_ns(9)
• struct v4l2_exportbuffer(9)
• struct v4l2_selection(9)
• struct v4l2_plane_pix_format(9)
• struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane(9)
• struct v4l2_sdr_format(9)
• struct v4l2_format(9)
• struct v4l2_event_motion_det(9)
• struct v4l2_create_buffers(9)
• struct v4l2_remove_buffers(9)

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 this came straight out of ./include/uapi/linux and got stamped October 2026 — iconic, no notes, slay 💅✨