dev_set_alias(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

✨ dev_set_alias(9) ✨

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual — this one's dev_set_alias, and it's genuinely such a little cutie. tiny function, one job, does it well. let's get into it 🎀

💜 NAME 💜

dev_set_alias — changes the ifalias of a device

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int dev_set_alias (struct net_device *dev , const char *alias , size_t
len );

like, look at that signature. three args, returns an int, no drama. icon behavior fr 💅

🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

  • dev — the device. the whole point. the main character of this operation 👑
  • alias — the name you want, and it can be up to IFALIASZ long. that's the cap, respect the cap 🎀
  • len — the limit of bytes to copy from info. so it's not copying everything in sight, just len bytes max. boundaries, we love to see it ✨

⭐ DESCRIPTION ⭐

it sets ifalias for a device. that's it. that's the whole vibe. no cap, it just does the one thing and slays while doing it 🫶

💖 RETURN 💖

  • 0 on success — we love a win 💅
  • -errno on failure — yeah the sad path, it comes back negative with an errno value 😭

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

highkey the whole kernel file ./net/core/dev_api.c is part of this squad, so let's give the siblings their shoutout:

go read them too, they're literally all right there 🧚

🍓 reminder: alias only has room for IFALIASZ characters, and len is the byte limit for the copy — so don't come in thinking you can drop a whole novel in there.

aaand that's the page bestie! this one lives in ./net/core and it's dated October 2026 — shoutout to the Kernel API Manual for hosting it. mwah 💜🎀✨

📦 where this page comes from