eth_addr_dec(9)

💅 eth_addr_dec(9) — the Kernel API Manual page, bestie edition

okay so this is eth_addr_dec, straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? she's a tiny little function with one job and she does it. no notes. 👑

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✨ NAME ✨

eth_addr_dec — decrement the given MAC address. that's it. that's the whole gig. she takes your Ethernet address and she subtracts one. lowkey iconic 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void eth_addr_dec (u8 *addr );

literally one line, no fancy return value, she returns void because she's not here to give you a report card 💅

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• addr — pointer to a six-byte array containing the Ethernet address you wanna decrement. six bytes, bestie, not five, not seven, six. it's giving "count them twice" energy ✨

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🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

the kernel file ./include/linux/etherdevice.h is the mothership and she has so many siblings — like, this family is huge, fr fr:

• is_link_local_ether_addr(9)
• is_zero_ether_addr(9)
• is_multicast_ether_addr(9)
• is_local_ether_addr(9)
• is_broadcast_ether_addr(9)
• is_unicast_ether_addr(9)
• is_valid_ether_addr(9)
• eth_proto_is_802_3(9)
• eth_random_addr(9)
• eth_broadcast_addr(9)
• eth_zero_addr(9)
• eth_hw_addr_random(9)
• eth_hw_addr_crc(9)
• ether_addr_copy(9)
• eth_hw_addr_set(9)
• eth_hw_addr_inherit(9)
• ether_addr_equal(9)
• ether_addr_equal_64bits(9)
• ether_addr_equal_unaligned(9)
• ether_addr_equal_masked(9)
• ether_addr_to_u64(9)
• u64_to_ether_addr(9)
• eth_addr_inc(9)
• eth_addr_add(9)
• is_etherdev_addr(9)
• compare_ether_header(9)
• eth_hw_addr_gen(9)
• eth_skb_pkt_type(9)
• eth_skb_pad(9)

like… the whole friend group showed up to the function's birthday party 😭🫶

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and that's the page, mwah 💖 this little gem lives in ./include/linux and the version on deck is dated October 2026 — go forth and decrement responsibly, bestie 🌈⭐