xxxfb_blank(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 xxxfb_blank(9) — the man page, but make it cute 💖

okay so this is xxxfb_blank(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and bestie, I need you to know up front: this one is optional. Like, genuinely optional. We're not in a situationship with this function, you do not have to implement it. Anyway, let's get into it 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

xxxfb_blank — literally NOT a required function. It blanks the display. That's the whole job. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int xxxfb_blank (int blank_mode , struct fb_info *info );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • blank_mode — the blank mode we want, bestie. That's it, that's the vibe.
  • info — the frame buffer structure that represents a single frame buffer. one struct, one buffer, one main character 🫶

⭐ DESCRIPTION ⭐

okay so here's the tea 🔥 — blank the screen if blank_mode != FB_BLANK_UNBLANK, else unblank. No cap.

Return 0 if blanking succeeded, and != 0 if un-/blanking failed due to e.g. a video mode which doesn't support it. like it's giving "sorry babe, this hardware said no" 😭

It also implements VESA suspend and powerdown modes on hardware that supports disabling hsync/vsync. the way that's so specific of it:

  • FB_BLANK_NORMAL = display is blanked, syncs are on.
  • FB_BLANK_HSYNC_SUSPEND = hsync off
  • FB_BLANK_VSYNC_SUSPEND = vsync off
  • FB_BLANK_POWERDOWN = hsync and vsync off
🚨 lowkey important: if you do implement this function, support at least FB_BLANK_UNBLANK. that's the bare minimum, bestie. and return !0 for any modes that are unimplemented — don't be out here pretending, fr fr.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./drivers/video/fbdev/skeletonfb.c, plus all these iconic siblings:

(and yes, xxxfb_suspend(9) and xxxfb_resume(9) are listed twice in the original — not me being messy, that's canon 💀✨)

🌈 aaaand that's the whole page! sign-off time: this one lives at ./drivers/video/fbdev, dated October 2026, and it's page xxxfb_blank(9) of the Kernel API Manual. slay, go blank some displays (or don't — it's not required, remember? 💜) 🧚

📦 where this page comes from