ENUM NETLINK_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR(9)

💖 enum netlink_policy_type_attr — policy type attributes 💖

okay bestie, this is <hotpink>enum netlink_policy_type_attr</hotpink> from the Kernel API Manual (section 9, kernel API, iykyk) and it's basically the master list of policy type attributes — the lil named slots that tell netlink how to check the attributes you're passing it. so slay. let's go 🌸

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

enum netlink_policy_type_attr {
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_UNSPEC ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_TYPE ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_VALUE_S ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_VALUE_S ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_VALUE_U ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_VALUE_U ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_LENGTH ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_LENGTH ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_POLICY_IDX ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_POLICY_MAXTYPE ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_BITFIELD32_MASK ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_PAD ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MASK ,
    __NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX ,
    NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX

};

💅 Constants 💅

like, every single one of them, no skipping, no cap 🫶

• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_UNSPEC — the unused one 🙈 literally just vibes, it does nothing
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_TYPE — the type of the attribute, enum netlink_attribute_type (U32) 👑 this is the main character
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_VALUE_S — minimum value for signed integers (S64)
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_VALUE_S — maximum value for signed integers (S64)
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_VALUE_U — minimum value for unsigned integers (U64)
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_VALUE_U — maximum value for unsigned integers (U64)
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MIN_LENGTH — minimum length for binary attributes, and there's no minimum if it's not given (U32) 🎀
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX_LENGTH — maximum length for binary attributes, and there's no maximum if it's not given (U32) 🎀
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_POLICY_IDX — the sub policy for nested and nested array types (U32) 🪆 it's giving nesting doll energy
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_POLICY_MAXTYPE — maximum sub policy attribute for nested and nested array types, and this can in theory be < the size of the policy pointed to by the index, if it's limited inside the nesting (U32) 👀 yes bestie, read that twice
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_BITFIELD32_MASK — the valid mask for the bitfield32 type (U32) ✨
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_PAD — pad attribute for 64-bit alignment 🧚 alignment is self-care, fr fr
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MASK — mask of valid bits for unsigned integers (U64) 🔥
• __NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX — number of attributes
• NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_MAX — highest attribute number ⭐

bestie reminder: NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_UNSPEC is unused, and NL_POLICY_TYPE_ATTR_POLICY_MAXTYPE can in theory be < the size of the policy pointed to by the index if it's limited inside the nesting. that's not me being shady, that's literally what the docs say 💀

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

go read these next, bestie, they're all connected:

• Kernel file ./include/uapi/linux/netlink.h
• struct nlmsghdr(9)
• enum nlmsgerr_attrs(9)
• enum netlink_attribute_type(9)

okay and finally, the receipts 🧾: this page lives under ./include/uapi/linux, it's stamped October 2026, and it goes by enum netlin...cy_type_attr(9) in the Kernel API Manual. that's the whole thing, you ate that, periodt 💅💖✨