trace_seq_pop(9)

💅 trace_seq_pop — like, the section 9 kernel API manual bestie 🎀

Okay so welcome to the Kernel API Manual, section 9, and today's main character is trace_seq_pop. Yes she's a function, yes she's iconic, let's get into it ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

trace_seq_pop — pops off the last written character, literally that's it, that's her whole thing 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int trace_seq_pop (struct trace_seq *s );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• s — the trace sequence descriptor. She's the one holding the vibes (and the characters) 💖

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

So trace_seq_pop removes the last written character from the trace_seq s. One little character, gone, poof, no cap 😭

And then — this is the part — it returns that last character. Or, if s is empty, it returns -1. That's it. That's the whole function. Slay 💅

Heads up bestie: if it's empty you get -1 back, not a character, so maybe vibe check before you assume you got a real letter back 👀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./include/linux/trace_seq.h
• trace_seq_used(9)
• trace_seq_buffer_ptr(9)
• trace_seq_has_overflowed(9)

Go read those too, they're all in the same friend group fr fr 🧚

Mwah, that's a wrap 💋 — this page lives in ./include/linux, it's dated October 2026, and honestly? She ate. Periodt. 👑