svc_authenticate(9)

💅 svc_authenticate — bestie, this is the kernel API manual page (section 9, svc_authenticate(9))

Okay so picture this: you're the kernel, you've got an RPC request sliding into your DMs, and before you let it start talking you need to check its creds. That's literally this function. It initializes an outgoing credential, no cap. 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

enum svc_auth_status svc_authenticate (struct svc_rqst *rqstp );

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• rqstp — the RPC execution context. Think of it as the whole vibe of the request: everything you need to know about who's asking and what they're asking for. 💖

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So like, the entire personality of this function is its return value — enum svc_auth_status. Here's the whole menu, and you have to know all of them, iykyk:

• SVC_OK — slay, we're good. XDR encoding of the result can begin. 👑
• SVC_DENIED — the credential or verifier is not valid. Not today, bestie. 🙈
• SVC_GARBAGE — failed to decode credential or verifier. It's giving corrupted. 💀
• SVC_COMPLETE — a GSS context lifetime event happened; no further action needed. It literally handled itself, main character energy. ✨
• SVC_DROP — drop this request; no further action. Byeee. 🦋
• SVC_CLOSE — like drop, but it also closes the transport connection. So it's drop with extra steps — dramatic, honestly. 😭

Heads up: knowing which of these to return is the entire assignment. SVC_DROP and SVC_CLOSE mean the request goes nowhere, and SVC_CLOSE takes the whole transport connection down with it, so don't be out here throwing it around casually. 💅

🌸 SEE ALSO 🌸

• Kernel file ./net/sunrpc/svcauth.c
• svc_set_client(9)
• svc_authorise(9)
• svc_auth_flavor(9)
• svcauth_map_clnt_to_svc_cred_local(9)
• auth_domain_cleanup(9)

And that's the whole page, bestie — courtesy of ./net/sunrpc, dated October 2026, filed under svc_authenticate(9). Go forth and authenticate responsibly 🧚💜