STRUCT XARRAY(9)

💅 struct xarray(9) — the manual page, but make it make sense

okay so bestie, welcome to struct xarray(9) from the Kernel API Manual ✨ this is the whole entire page about the little anchor guy that holds your XArray together. it's small, it's iconic, it's giving "quiet main character" 🌸

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🎀 NAME 🎀

struct xarray — literally the anchor of the XArray. that's it. that's the vibe. it holds the whole thing down 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct xarray {
    spinlock_t xa_lock;
};

look at her. one member. absolutely no notes 🫶

🌸 Members 🌸

• xa_lock — the lock that protects the contents of the XArray 🔒 she's the bodyguard, she keeps everything inside safe, no cap.

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so to actually use the xarray, you either define it statically or you embed it right inside your own data structure 🧚 that's the move.

and here's the thing — it is a very small data structure, so it does not usually make sense to allocate it separately and then keep a pointer to it in your data structure. like, why would you 😭 just embed her, she's tiny, she's low maintenance, she's the moment.

bonus: you may use the xa_lock to protect your own data structures as well 👑 not me getting a two-for-one deal on locking, we love a multitasking queen ⭐

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💀 SEE ALSO 💀

Kernel file ./include/linux/xarray.h — plus the entire extended friend group, fr fr (iykyk):

xa_mk_value(9), xa_to_value(9), xa_is_value(9), xa_tag_pointer(9), xa_untag_pointer(9), xa_pointer_tag(9), xa_is_zero(9), xa_is_err(9), xa_err(9), struct xa_limit(9), DEFINE_XARRAY_FLAGS(9), DEFINE_XARRAY(9), DEFINE_XARRAY_ALLOC(9), DEFINE_XARRAY_ALLOC1(9), xa_init_flags(9), xa_init(9), xa_empty(9), xa_marked(9), xa_for_each_range(9), xa_for_each_start(9), xa_for_each(9), xa_for_each_marked(9), xa_store_bh(9), xa_store_irq(9), xa_erase_bh(9), xa_erase_irq(9), xa_cmpxchg(9), xa_cmpxchg_bh(9), xa_cmpxchg_irq(9), xa_insert(9), xa_insert_bh(9), xa_insert_irq(9), xa_alloc(9), xa_alloc_bh(9), xa_alloc_irq(9), xa_alloc_cyclic(9), xa_alloc_cyclic_bh(9), xa_alloc_cyclic_irq(9), xa_reserve(9), xa_reserve_bh(9), xa_reserve_irq(9), xa_release(9), xa_is_sibling(9), xa_is_retry(9), xa_is_advanced(9), xa_update_node_t(9), XA_STATE(9), XA_STATE_ORDER(9), xas_error(9), xas_set_err(9), xas_invalid(9), xas_valid(9), xas_is_node(9), xas_reset(9), xas_retry(9), xas_reload(9), xas_set(9), xas_advance(9), xas_set_order(9), xas_set_update(9), xas_next_entry(9), xas_next_marked(9), xas_for_each(9), xas_for_each_marked(9), xas_for_each_conflict(9), xas_prev(9), xas_next(9)

like… that's a lot of friends and honestly? obsessed 🦋

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ok that's the whole page bestie, go forth and embed your xarray, she's small and she's perfect 💜

and for the sign-off credits moment: this page is from ./include/linux, version/date October 2026, and the manual name is struct xarray(9) — periodt 🎀⭐💖