ENUM NL80211_AUTH_TYPE(9)

🎀 enum nl80211_auth_type 💅

hey bestie, welcome to the kernel API manual ✨ this one is enum nl80211_auth_type, and it's literally just the AuthenticationType list — the whole cast of ways a station can prove it's supposed to be on the network. lowkey one of the more drama-free enums in nl80211. let's get into it 💖

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✨ NAME ✨

enum nl80211_auth_type — AuthenticationType

like, the authentication type. that's the vibe. 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

enum nl80211_auth_type {
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_OPEN_SYSTEM ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_SHARED_KEY ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FT ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_NETWORK_EAP ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_SAE ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_SK ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_SK_PFS ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_PK ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_EPPKE ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_IEEE8021X ,
    __NL80211_AUTHTYPE_NUM ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_MAX ,
    NL80211_AUTHTYPE_AUTOMATIC

};

look at that lineup. main character energy from top to bottom 👑

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🧚 Constants 🧚

okay so each one of these is a whole personality, here's the tea:

• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_OPEN_SYSTEM — Open System authentication. the "no thoughts, head empty" of auth. iconic in its simplicity 🫶
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_SHARED_KEY — Shared Key authentication, and ngl it's WEP only. yes, that WEP. we don't talk about it 💀
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FT — Fast BSS Transition (IEEE 802.11r). roaming but make it snappy ✨
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_NETWORK_EAP — Network EAP — found on some Cisco APs and mainly LEAP. niche but she's valid 🎀
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_SAE — Simultaneous authentication of equals. say it with your chest, it sounds amazing and it is 🌈
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_SK — Fast Initial Link Setup shared key. FILS girlies rise 🦋
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_SK_PFS — Fast Initial Link Setup shared key with PFS. same girl, extra PFS, extra slay 🔥
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_FILS_PK — Fast Initial Link Setup public key. public key edition, we love a sequel 💜
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_EPPKE — Enhanced Privacy Protection Key Exchange. acronym longer than my attention span but we respect her 👑
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_IEEE8021X — IEEE 802.1X authentication utilizing Authentication frames. literally says it right there in the description 🎀
• __NL80211_AUTHTYPE_NUM — internal. that's it, that's the description. mind your business 🙈
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_MAX — maximum valid auth algorithm. the ceiling, the limit, the final boss ⭐
• NL80211_AUTHTYPE_AUTOMATIC — determine automatically (if necessary by trying multiple times). she'll figure it out herself 💅 — but heads up bestie: this one is invalid in netlink — leave out the attribute for this on CONNECT commands. fr fr, don't put it in there 🚨

no cap on the last one — NL80211_AUTHTYPE_AUTOMATIC is invalid in netlink, so on CONNECT commands you leave the attribute out entirely. that's not a suggestion, that's the rule 😤

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💖 SEE ALSO 💖

the friend group is huge, buckle up 🍓

• Kernel file ./include/uapi/linux/nl80211.h
• Station handling(9)
• Frame transmission/registration support(9)
• Virtual interface / concurrency capabilities(9)
• packet coalesce support(9)
• WPA/WPA2 EAPOL handshake offload(9)
• FILS shared key authentication offload(9)
• SAE authentication offload(9)
• VLAN offload support for setting group keys and binding STAs to VLANs(9)
• TID configuration(9)
• FILS shared key crypto offload(9)
• Multi-Link Operation(9)
• OWE DH IE handling offload(9)
• enum nl80211_commands(9)
• enum nl80211_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_iftype(9)
• enum nl80211_sta_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_sta_p2p_ps_status(9)
• struct nl80211_sta_flag_update(9)
• enum nl80211_he_gi(9)
• enum nl80211_he_ltf(9)
• enum nl80211_he_ru_alloc(9)
• enum nl80211_eht_gi(9)
• enum nl80211_eht_ltf(9)
• enum nl80211_eht_ru_alloc(9)
• enum nl80211_rate_info(9)
• enum nl80211_sta_bss_param(9)
• enum nl80211_sta_info(9)
• enum nl80211_tid_stats(9)
• enum nl80211_txq_stats(9)
• enum nl80211_mpath_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_mpath_info(9)
• enum nl80211_band_iftype_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_band_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_phy_cap_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_wmm_rule(9)
• enum nl80211_frequency_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_bitrate_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_reg_initiator(9)
• enum nl80211_reg_type(9)
• enum nl80211_reg_rule_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_sched_scan_match_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_reg_rule_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_dfs_regions(9)
• enum nl80211_user_reg_hint_type(9)
• enum nl80211_survey_info(9)
• enum nl80211_mntr_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_mesh_power_mode(9)
• enum nl80211_meshconf_params(9)
• enum nl80211_mesh_setup_params(9)
• enum nl80211_txq_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_channel_type(9)
• enum nl80211_key_mode(9)
• enum nl80211_chan_width(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_scan_width(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_use_for(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_cannot_use_reasons(9)
• enum nl80211_bss(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_status(9)
• enum nl80211_key_type(9)
• enum nl80211_mfp(9)
• enum nl80211_key_default_types(9)
• enum nl80211_key_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_tx_rate_attributes(9)
• struct nl80211_txrate_vht(9)
• struct nl80211_txrate_he(9)
• struct nl80211_txrate_eht(9)
• enum nl80211_band(9)
• enum nl80211_ps_state(9)
• enum nl80211_attr_cqm(9)
• enum nl80211_cqm_rssi_threshold_event(9)
• enum nl80211_tx_power_setting(9)
• enum nl80211_tid_config(9)
• enum nl80211_packet_pattern_attr(9)
• struct nl80211_pattern_support(9)
• enum nl80211_wowlan_triggers(9)
• TCP connection wakeup(9)
• struct nl80211_wowlan_tcp_data_seq(9)
• struct nl80211_wowlan_tcp_data_token(9)
• struct nl80211_wowlan_tcp_data_token_feature(9)
• enum nl80211_wowlan_tcp_attrs(9)
• struct nl80211_coalesce_rule_support(9)
• enum nl80211_attr_coalesce_rule(9)
• enum nl80211_coalesce_condition(9)
• enum nl80211_iface_limit_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_if_combination_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_plink_state(9)
• enum nl80211_plink_action(9)
• enum nl80211_rekey_data(9)
• enum nl80211_hidden_ssid(9)
• enum nl80211_sta_wme_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_pmksa_candidate_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_tdls_operation(9)
• enum nl80211_ap_sme_features(9)
• enum nl80211_feature_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_ext_feature_index(9)
• enum nl80211_probe_resp_offload_support_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_connect_failed_reason(9)
• enum nl80211_timeout_reason(9)
• enum nl80211_scan_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_acl_policy(9)
• enum nl80211_smps_mode(9)
• enum nl80211_radar_event(9)
• enum nl80211_dfs_state(9)
• enum nl80211_protocol_features(9)
• enum nl80211_crit_proto_id(9)
• enum nl80211_rxmgmt_flags(9)
• struct nl80211_vendor_cmd_info(9)
• enum nl80211_tdls_peer_capability(9)
• enum nl80211_sched_scan_plan(9)
• struct nl80211_bss_select_rssi_adjust(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_select_attr(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_function_type(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_publish_type(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_func_term_reason(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_func_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_srf_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_match_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_band_conf_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_conf_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_external_auth_action(9)
• enum nl80211_ftm_responder_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_preamble(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_type(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_status(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_req(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_resp(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_req_type(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_peer_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_capa(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_type_capa(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_req(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_failure_reasons(9)
• enum nl80211_peer_measurement_ftm_resp(9)
• enum nl80211_obss_pd_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_bss_color_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_iftype_akm_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_fils_discovery_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_unsol_bcast_probe_resp_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_sae_pwe_mechanism(9)
• enum nl80211_sar_type(9)
• enum nl80211_sar_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_sar_specs_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_mbssid_config_attributes(9)
• enum nl80211_ap_settings_flags(9)
• enum nl80211_wiphy_radio_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_wiphy_radio_freq_range(9)
• enum nl80211_s1g_short_beacon_attrs(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_capabilities(9)
• enum nl80211_nan_peer_map_attrs(9)

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that's the whole page bestie, you ate that 💅✨

source file: ./include/uapi/linux · dated: October 2026 — and the manual tag on this one is enum nl80211_auth_type(9), so you know exactly where to find her again 🎀🦋💖