tpm_dev_release(9)

💖 tpm_dev_release(9) 💖

okay so this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual (that's the manual it lives in, bestie, not a vibe I made up) and it's all about tpm_dev_release — the little function that frees chip memory and the device number. two things! at once! she's multitasking 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

tpm_dev_release — free chip memory and the device number

like. she literally does what it says on the tin. no cap.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void tpm_dev_release (struct device *dev );

that's it. that's the whole signature. no return value, she just does the thing and dips 🫶

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dev — the character device for the TPM chip. that's your girl right there, the one getting released 💖

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so this one is short and sweet and honestly kind of iconic for it:

tpm_dev_release is used as the release function for the character device. that's the job. that's the assignment. when the character device needs its release function, this is the one that shows up ✨

like yes she's lowkey doing two things (the memory and the device number, remember the NAME section, iykyk) but her whole role in life is being that release function. main character energy tbh 👑

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Kernel file ./drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
• tpm_chip_start(9)
• tpm_chip_stop(9)
• tpm_try_get_ops(9)
• tpm_put_ops(9)
• tpm_default_chip(9)
• tpm_class_shutdown(9)
• tpm_chip_alloc(9)
• tpmm_chip_alloc(9)

(and yes tpmm_chip_alloc(9) really does have two m's — that's not a typo on my end, I would never, copy it exactly as it is bestie 🙈)

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okay that's the whole page, go read the friends in SEE ALSO if you want the full lore — they're all hanging out in ./drivers/char/tpm, dated October 2026, and this whole little family is literally from the Kernel API Manual. mwah, study well, stan kernel docs 💜🎀✨