dev_set_mac_address(9)

👑 dev_set_mac_address(9) 👑

okay so bestie, welcome to dev_set_mac_address(9) from the Kernel API Manual — we're in kernel API territory and this page is literally all about changing a device's Media Access Control Address, aka the MAC address 💅✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

dev_set_mac_address — change Media Access Control Address

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

no cap, here's the whole signature exactly as it is:

int dev_set_mac_address (struct net_device *dev , struct
       sockaddr_storage *ss , struct netlink_ext_ack *extack );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dev — device. the device you're working with, bestie 🫶
• ss — new address. the new address, periodt ✨
• extack — netlink extended ack. the netlink extended ack, iykyk 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Change the hardware (MAC) address of the device. that's the whole vibe — it changes the hardware (MAC) address of the device 🌈

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💜 RETURN 💜

• 0 on success 🎉
• -errno on failure 😭

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file: ./net/core/dev_api.c — and these are the SEE ALSO besties, all accounted for:

• dev_change_name(9)
• dev_set_alias(9)
• dev_change_flags(9)
• dev_set_group(9)
• dev_change_net_namespace(9)
• dev_change_carrier(9)
• dev_change_tx_queue_len(9)
• dev_change_proto_down(9)
• dev_open(9)
• dev_close(9)
• dev_disable_lro(9)
• dev_set_promiscuity(9)
• dev_set_allmulti(9)
• netdev_state_change(9)

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xoxo from the Kernel API Manual, source ./net/core, dated October 2026 — dev_set_mac_address(9) signing off 💖🫶✨