eth_random_addr(9)

✨ eth_random_addr(9) ✨

okay bestie, so this one is from the Kernel API Manual (the 9 section, kernel internals vibe 💅) and it's literally about conjuring a random Ethernet address out of thin air. no cap, it's giving "make me a MAC address" energy 🎀

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🌸 NAME 🌸

eth_random_addr — generate a software assigned random Ethernet address ✨

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

void eth_random_addr (u8 *addr );

like, that's the whole signature. she's short, she's sweet, she's void (returns nothing, queen behavior) 👑

💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• addr — pointer to a six-byte array containing the Ethernet address 🫶 six bytes, that's the whole MAC address, don't skimp

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So what she does is generate a random Ethernet address (that's a MAC) that is not multicast and has the local assigned bit set. periodt. that's the deal 💅

highkey important: those two properties are the whole personality of this function — not multicast, local assigned bit set, every single time 🔥

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

bestie there are SO many siblings, it's a whole family reunion 😭 and they all live in the kernel file ./include/linux/etherdevice.h. go say hi:

• 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_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_dec(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… she knows everybody in ./include/linux, iykyk 🧚

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and that's the whole page!! short but iconic, honestly 🌟 huge shoutout to ./include/linux for hosting her, dated October 2026, in the Kernel API Manual — mwah, love u, bye bestie 💜🎀