VRECYCLE(9)

💅 VRECYCLE — like, the vnode recycling glow-up (section 9 of the Kernel Developer's Manual, bestie)

okay so picture this: you're deep in kernel land, you've got a vnode that literally nobody is holding onto anymore, and you're like "girl, you're free to go" — that's this whole function. it's giving cleanup crew energy. 🧹✨

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✨ NAME ✨

vrecycle — recycle a vnode if its reference count is zero 🎀

like, if nobody's using it, we're putting it back in the free pile. no cap.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <sys/param.h>
#include <sys/vnode.h>

int
vrecycle(struct vnode *vp, struct proc *p);

yes bestie, both headers, don't skip sys/param.h or sys/vnode.h or the compiler will absolutely call you out and it will be embarrassing 💀

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea, and it's actually so simple:

the vrecycle() function places the vnode vp on the free list using vgonel(9) if its v_usecount field is zero. zero users? zero problems. off it goes to the free list, slay 💅

but if v_usecount is non-zero — like, somebody out there is still holding a reference — it simply returns. that's it. no drama, no fuss, it just backs away politely and pretends it wasn't there 🙈

the p argument specifies the process responsible for the call. that's your "who did this" receipt, iykyk 🧾

ngl this is one of those functions that's iconic because it does nothing when it's not supposed to. main character restraint.

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⭐ RETURN VALUES ⭐

• 1 — the vnode was placed on the free list. it's free! it's liberated! we love a successful glow-up 👑
• 0 — the reference count was non-zero, so nothing happened. not me returning zero, not me 💀

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• vgonel(9)
• vnode(9)

go read those, they're literally the lore that makes this page make sense 🫶

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🌈 HISTORY 🌈

This man page was originally written for OpenBSD. periodt. 🍓

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okay that's the whole vibe check, bestie — this page is from the Debian fam, dated August 5, 2020. go forth and recycle responsibly, mwah 💜🧚‍♀️