tb_property_format_dir(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 tb_property_format_dir(9) — or, how to pack a directory for the Thunderbolt fabric

okay bestie, so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and it's all about tb_property_format_dir ✨ it lives over in ./drivers/thunderbolt and it's giving "glow-up your property directory into wire format" energy 🦋

🌸 NAME 🌸

tb_property_format_dir — formats a directory to the packed XDomain format 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ssize_t tb_property_format_dir (const struct tb_property_dir *dir , u32
*block , size_t block_len );

like, that's the whole signature, no cap 💅

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

  • dir — the directory you wanna format, bestie. that's the one.
  • block — the property block where the packed data gets placed. it's the destination, the moment, the main character 👑
  • block_len — length of the property block. gotta know how much room you're working with, fr fr.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so this function formats the directory into the packed format that can then be sent over the thunderbolt fabric to the receiving host 🔥 like it's literally turning your nice structured directory into something you can yeet across the wire. iconic behavior.

and here's the little twist: passing NULL in block returns the number of entries the block takes 👀 so you can ask "how big is this gonna be" before you commit. very considerate of it, honestly.

🌈 RETURN 🌈

  • 0 on success 💚
  • a negative errno otherwise 😭 (so like, check it. please. i'm begging.)

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Kernel file ./drivers/thunderbolt/property.c — go read it, iykyk 📖

and the whole friend group:

💀 real talk: the function returns a negative errno on failure, so please actually look at the return value before you go sending stuff over the fabric. past you will thank present you. 🫶

and that's the page, bestie! 🌟 this one's from ./drivers/thunderbolt, dated October 2026, and it's part of the Kernel API Manual — slay, periodt, go pack some directories 💜🎀

📦 where this page comes from