vfs_path_lookup(9)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so we’re in the Kernel API Manual, and this page is vfs_path_lookup(9) — the function that looks up a file path relative to a dentry-vfsmount pair. that’s the whole assignment, bestie 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int vfs_path_lookup (struct dentry *dentry , struct vfsmount *mnt ,
       const char *name , unsigned int flags , struct path *path );

the spacing is giving exactly-as-written, and we respect it 💅

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dentry — pointer to dentry of the base directory; the base-directory starting point, iykyk 🎀
• mnt — pointer to vfs mount of the base directory; it pairs with dentry, no cap
• name — pointer to file name; the name being looked up, periodt
• flags — lookup flags; these are the lookup flags, full stop
• path — pointer to struct path to fill; this is the output baddie that gets filled in ✨

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the kernel file ./fs/namei.c is the source-file main character here, and this is the whole friend group it brings along:

• check_acl(9)
• acl_permission_check(9)
• generic_permission(9)
• do_inode_permission(9)
• sb_permission(9)
• inode_permission(9)
• path_get(9)
• path_put(9)
• path_connected(9)
• try_to_unlazy(9)
• try_to_unlazy_next(9)
• complete_walk(9)
• may_follow_link(9)
• safe_hardlink_source(9)
• may_linkat(9)
• may_create_in_sticky(9)
• lookup_fast(9)
• start_dirop(9)
• end_dirop(9)
• kern_path_parent(9)
• vfs_path_parent_lookup(9)
• try_lookup_noperm(9)
• lookup_noperm(9)
• lookup_one(9)
• lookup_one_unlocked(9)
• lookup_one_positive_killable(9)
• lookup_one_positive_unlocked(9)
• lookup_noperm_unlocked(9)
• start_creating(9)
• start_removing(9)
• start_creating_killable(9)
• start_removing_killable(9)
• start_creating_noperm(9)
• start_removing_noperm(9)
• start_creating_dentry(9)
• start_removing_dentry(9)
• __start_renaming(9)
• start_renaming(9)
• start_renaming_dentry(9)
• start_renaming_two_dentries(9)
• vfs_prepare_mode(9)
• vfs_create(9)
• atomic_open(9)
• vfs_lookup_open(9)
• vfs_tmpfile(9)
• kernel_tmpfile_open(9)
• end_creating_path(9)
• dentry_create(9)
• vfs_mknod(9)
• vfs_mkdir(9)
• vfs_rmdir(9)
• vfs_unlink(9)
• vfs_symlink(9)
• vfs_link(9)
• vfs_rename(9)
• vfs_readlink(9)
• vfs_get_link(9)
• page_get_link(9)
• page_put_link(9)

and that’s the tea ☕ — source/version: ./fs, date: October 2026. now go look up some paths and slay, bestie 💅🌈✨