work_grab_pending(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 work_grab_pending(9) — the Kernel API Manual entry you didn't know you needed

okay so bestie, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual and it's about work_grab_pending — the function that literally steals a work item off the worklist and disables irq while it's at it. not me being dramatic, that's just what it does 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

work_grab_pending — steal work item from worklist and disable irq 💀🔥

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

bool work_grab_pending (struct work_struct *work , u32 cflags , unsigned
long *irq_flags );

like yes, it returns a bool, and yes, it's taking three arguments — she's a little high-maintenance but she's worth it 💅

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • work — the work item to steal. yeah. steal it. girlboss behaviour 👑
  • cflags — the WORK_CANCEL_ flags. ship them with the right vibes or don't ship them at all ⭐
  • irq_flags — the place to store IRQ state. it's giving "put your keys here so you don't lose them" 🎀

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So the whole point: this function grabs the PENDING bit of work. and when we say work can be in any stable state, we mean it — idle, on timer, or on worklist. all of them. no cap ✨

You can call this from any context. literally any. and heads up bestie: IRQ is disabled on return, with the IRQ state stored in *irq_flags. so the caller is responsible for re-enabling it via local_irq_restore. that's on you, not on her 🙈

It returns true if work was pending, and false if idle. simple. iconic. periodt 💜

⚠️ fr fr: don't forget the local_irq_restore — she disabled irq on the way out and she is NOT turning it back on for you.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./kernel/workqueue.c, plus literally the entire workqueue friend group — iykyk 😭💖

and that's the whole page bestie!! 💖 this lil entry lives in ./kernel and it's dated October 2026 — so yeah, she's from the future, main character energy fr fr 🧚✨ go grab that pending bit, restore those irqs, and slay 💅🍓

📦 where this page comes from