---
name: "__dev_alloc_skb"
section: "9"
platform: "linux"
package: "linux-manual-3.2"
version: "3.2.78-1"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/__dev_alloc_skb"
---

# \_\_dev\_alloc\_skb(9)

allocate an skbuff for receiving

## NAME

\_\_dev\_alloc\_skb - allocate an skbuff for receiving

## SYNOPSIS

**struct sk\_buff \* \_\_dev\_alloc\_skb(unsigned int** *length***, gfp\_t** *gfp\_mask***);**

## ARGUMENTS

*length*

length to allocate

*gfp\_mask*

get\_free\_pages mask, passed to alloc\_skb

## DESCRIPTION

Allocate a new sk\_buff and assign it a usage count of one. The buffer has unspecified headroom built in. Users should allocate the headroom they think they need without accounting for the built in space. The built in space is used for optimisations.

**NULL** is returned if there is no free memory.

## COPYRIGHT