dev_addr_del(9)

💖 dev_addr_del(9) 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to dev_addr_del — it's a page from the Kernel API Manual and honestly it's giving "small function, big responsibility" energy. Let's get into it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

dev_addr_del — release a device address 💅 like, let it go, it's not your address anymore.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int dev_addr_del (struct net_device *dev , const unsigned char *addr ,
       unsigned char addr_type );

that's the whole vibe. three args, one int coming back at you ✨

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dev — the device, bestie. the actual struct net_device we're messing with 💻
• addr — the address to delete 🗑️ the one getting evicted, no cap
• addr_type — the address type 🏷️ gotta say what kind of address it is

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so here's the tea ☕: dev_addr_del releases the reference to a device address and removes it from the device if the reference count drops to zero — like, the refcount has to hit zero before it actually gets the boot 👢. not before. the count says when. periodt.

⚠️ okay this is the important part, do NOT skip it: the caller must hold the rtnl_mutex. fr fr. that's not a suggestion, that's a lock requirement, and if you're out here calling this without it that's a you problem 🙈

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

okay this list is LONG and honestly kind of iconic — the whole friend group showed up 👑

• Kernel file ./net/core/dev_addr_lists.c — the home base 🏠
• __hw_addr_sync_dev(9)
• __hw_addr_ref_sync_dev(9)
• __hw_addr_ref_unsync_dev(9)
• __hw_addr_unsync_dev(9)
• __hw_addr_list_snapshot(9)
• __hw_addr_list_reconcile(9)
• dev_addr_flush(9)
• dev_addr_init(9)
• dev_addr_add(9)
• dev_uc_add_excl(9)
• dev_uc_add(9)
• dev_uc_del(9)
• dev_uc_sync(9)
• dev_uc_sync_multiple(9)
• dev_uc_unsync(9)
• dev_uc_flush(9)
• dev_uc_init(9)
• dev_mc_add_excl(9)
• dev_mc_add(9)
• dev_mc_add_global(9)
• dev_mc_del(9)
• dev_mc_del_global(9)
• dev_mc_sync(9)
• dev_mc_sync_multiple(9)
• dev_mc_unsync(9)
• dev_mc_flush(9)
• dev_mc_init(9)
• netif_uc_promisc_update(9)
• __dev_set_rx_mode(9)
• netif_rx_mode_sync(9)

like I said. the whole squad 🌈

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and that's the page, bestie!! 🧚💜

this lil masterpiece lives in ./net/core, dated October 2026, and it's filed under dev_addr_del(9) in the Kernel API Manual — so when you need it again you know exactly where to look 🍓✨ go forth and release those addresses responsibly 💅