usb_disconnect(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 usb_disconnect(9) — kernel API manual energy

okay so bestie, buckle up, we're looking at usb_disconnect(9) from the Kernel API Manual and honestly? it's giving "cleanup era" ✨

🎀 NAME 🎀

usb_disconnect — disconnect a device (usbcore-internal)

like, it's an internal thing, iykyk, don't go calling it from your random driver fr fr 🙈

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

void usb_disconnect (struct usb_device **pdev );

that's it. that's the whole signature. no return value, it just does the thing 💅

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • pdev — pointer to the device being disconnected. yes it's a double pointer, yes it's a whole vibe, it's a pointer to the pointer of the device getting yeeted 🫶

⭐ CONTEXT ⭐

task context, might sleep 😴

translation: you're allowed to block here. do not bring this into an interrupt context, she will NOT survive it.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Something got disconnected. Get rid of it and all of its children. that's the whole plot. no cap, entire family tree, gone 🧹✨

okay but the important bits, listen up:

  • If *pdev is a normal device then the parent hub must already be locked. 🔒 like, you show up with the lock already held or you don't show up at all.
  • If *pdev is a root hub then the caller must hold the usb_bus_idr_lock, which protects the set of root hubs as well as the list of buses. two-for-one protection, iconic 👑

Only hub drivers (including virtual root hub drivers for host controllers) should ever call this. nobody else. hands off. not your function, not your moment 🙅‍♀️

⚠️ This call is synchronous, and may not be used in an interrupt context. it sleeps. it blocks. it takes its sweet time and you WILL respect that 😭

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./drivers/usb/core/hub.c — and the whole friend group:

and that's the page, bestie 💜 this one lives in ./drivers/usb/core, dated October 2026 — take care of her, mwah 🍓🎀✨

📦 where this page comes from