watchdog_open(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 watchdog_open(9) 💖

okay so welcome to the Kernel API Manual, section (9) bestie, and today's main character is watchdog_open 🐕✨

✨ NAME ✨

watchdog_open — it opens the /dev/watchdog* devices, that's the whole vibe 🎀

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int watchdog_open (struct inode *inode , struct file *file );

like, that's the signature, don't @ me, it's literally right there 💅

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • inode — the inode of the device 👀 like, which device we're talking about
  • file — the file handle to the device 🫶 the actual handle bestie

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so here's the tea ☕: when the /dev/watchdog* device gets opened, we start the watchdog. that's it, that's the job, no cap 🔥

⚠️ watch out though — the /dev/watchdog device is single open, so we make sure it can only be opened once. one. uno. no sharing, no duplicating, periodt 💀

🌈 RETURN 🌈

0 if successful 💖 — and an error otherwise 😭 (yes that's the whole return section, it's giving minimal and iconic)

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

the kernel file is literally ./drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c if you wanna go read the source yourself, go off 👑

and the whole friend group:

okay that's the page!! mwah 💋 this little love letter lives in ./drivers/watchdog and it's dated October 2026 — screenshot it, cite it, cite me, bye bestie 🧚💖🌸

📦 where this page comes from