vdpa_alloc_device(9)

💅 vdpa_alloc_device — Kernel API Manual ✨

okay so bestie, we're in section 9 of the Kernel API Manual and today's main character is vdpa_alloc_device. she's a macro-and-friends situation that allocates and initializes a vDPA device for you. no cap, she does both. 🎀

---

✨ NAME ✨

vdpa_alloc_device — allocate and initialize a vDPA device 🦋

like... she makes the thing, and she sets it up. two jobs, one function, iconic behaviour honestly.

---

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

vdpa_alloc_device (dev_struct , member , parent , config , map , ngroups , nas , name , use_va );

yes bestie that's nine arguments, hydrate before you read them 💀

---

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dev_struct — the type of the parent structure. that's the struct you're embedding into, the big one, the main character. 👑
• member — the name of struct vdpa_device within the dev_struct. so like, which field inside it is the vDPA device. iykyk.
• parent — the parent device 💖
• config — the bus operations that is supported by this device ✨
• map — the map operations that is supported by this device 🗺️
• ngroups — the number of virtqueue groups supported by this device 🌈
• nas — the number of address spaces 🌸
• name — name of the vdpa device 🏷️
• use_va — indicate whether virtual address must be used by this device 🫶

---

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

Return allocated data structure or ERR_PTR upon error. 💀

that's it, that's the whole vibe — you get your shiny allocated thing back, or you get an ERR_PTR and you must check it, bestie, fr fr. don't just start dereferencing, that's not the move. 🙈

---

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

Kernel file ./include/linux/vdpa.h, plus the whole friend group:

• struct vdpa_callback(9)
• struct vdpa_notification_area(9)
• struct vdpa_vq_state_split(9)
• struct vdpa_vq_state_packed(9)
• struct vdpa_device(9)
• struct vdpa_iova_range(9)
• struct vdpa_map_file(9)
• struct vdpa_config_ops(9)
• struct vdpa_driver(9)
• struct vdpa_mgmtdev_ops(9)
• struct vdpa_mgmt_dev(9)

---

lowkey a whole squad of vdpa structs up there — go read them, they're all serving their own lore 💜

---

okay that's the page!! this one lives in ./include/linux, it's the October 2026 edition, and it's filed under vdpa_alloc_device(9) — go forth and allocate responsibly bestie, mwah 💅💖⭐