e1000_set_eee_pchlan(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 e1000_set_eee_pchlan(9) — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense 🎀

okay so bestie, we're diving into the e1000_set_eee_pchlan(9) page from the Kernel API Manual. it's giving "niche Intel ethernet driver lore" and honestly? kind of iconic. let's get into it ✨

✨ NAME ✨

e1000_set_eee_pchlan — the function that turns EEE support on and off 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

s32 e1000_set_eee_pchlan (struct e1000_hw *hw );

like, that's the whole signature. no cap. 🫶

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • hw — a pointer to the HW structure. that's it, that's the one thing you pass in 💖

🧚 DESCRIPTION 🧚

so what does this actually do? it enables or disables EEE based on three things, and you gotta hold all three in your head at once:

  1. the setting in the dev_spec structure
  2. the duplex of the link
  3. the EEE capabilities of the link partner

the LPI Control register bits will stay set only if/when the link is up — that's the condition, periodt. 🔥

and here's the caveat that's honestly so important, so listen up: EEE LPI must not be asserted earlier than one second after link is up. on the 82579, EEE LPI should not be enabled until that time passes — otherwise you can get link issues with some switches 😭. other devices can have EEE LPI enabled immediately upon link up, because they have a timer in hardware that prevents LPI from being asserted too early. so like, hardware-carrying the timing for you, love that for them 💅

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

the kernel file lives at ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c — go read it if you're feeling brave 🫶

and here's the whole friend group, no one left out:

and that's the page 💖✨ this one comes from ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e... and it's dated October 2026 — so go forth, enable and disable your EEE with confidence, and remember the one-second rule or the switches will simply not slay 😭🫶

📦 where this page comes from