tcp_orphan_retries(9)

💅 tcp_orphan_retries(9) — Kernel API Manual, but make it make sense

okay so bestie, welcome to tcp_orphan_retries ✨ this is a little kernel function — it lives in the kernel API manual (section 9, kernel-dev vibes) — and honestly? it does exactly one thing and it does it iconically.

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🌸 NAME

tcp_orphan_retries — returns the maximal number of retries on an orphaned socket 🫶

like... that's the whole job. an orphaned socket has been abandoned by its user, and this function tells you the max retry count for it. she's a numbers girlie and that's valid 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS

int tcp_orphan_retries (struct sock *sk , bool alive );

not me showing you the exact signature so you don't fumble it 😭 it returns int, takes a struct sock * and a bool, and yes the spacing is exactly like that. copy it character for character or don't come to me about it fr fr.

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🎀 ARGUMENTS

• sk — pointer to the current socket 🧚 she's the main character here, obviously. handle with care, it's a pointer.
• alive — a bool, the socket's alive state. literally just whether the socket is alive or not. no cap, that's the whole description.

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👑 SEE ALSO

the kernel file ./net/ipv4/tcp_timer.c is where the magic lives, and it's bringing the whole friend group:

• tcp_write_err(9)
• tcp_out_of_resources(9)
• retransmits_timed_out(9)
• tcp_delack_timer(9)
• tcp_retransmit_timer(9)

go read those too, they're all in their timer-era and honestly kind of slay ⭐

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bestie note: this page is short on purpose. no options, no exit statuses, no bugs listed — just a return value and the gworls in the see-also section. don't go looking for lore that isn't there 🙈

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and that's the whole page mwah 💖 this little cutie comes from the ./net/ipv4 corner of the kernel and is dated October 2026 — same date stamp on the top and bottom of the original, so consider this your cute sign-off: tcp_orphan_retries(9), October 2026, ./net/ipv4 🎀✨