eth_skb_pad(9)

💅 eth_skb_pad(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual page, bestie 💅

okay so this is eth_skb_pad(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and it's honestly such a little glow-up function. it takes your sad under-sized Ethernet frame and pads it. that's it. that's the whole vibe. and yes it lives in the kernel — we're in the kernel now, stay with me 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

eth_skb_pad — pad a buffer up to the minimum number of octets an Ethernet frame needs 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int eth_skb_pad (struct sk_buff *skb );

no cap, that's the whole signature. one argument, returns an int. 💖

✨ ARGUMENTS ✨

• skb — the buffer you want to pad, bestie. that's the one. that's the buffer. 🦋

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

okay so picture this: an Ethernet frame should have a minimum size of 60 bytes. that's the rule. that's the standard. 60 bytes minimum, periodt 💅

but sometimes you get a short frame — a little baby frame, absolutely not hitting the 60-byte mark — and that's where this icon comes in. eth_skb_pad takes those short frames and pads them with zeros up to the 60 byte limit. literally just filling in the gaps so your frame meets the vibe check. ✨ zeroes. clean. simple. iconic. 🌸

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

the kernel file ./include/linux/etherdevice.h is the mothership, and it's giving so many ether-related besties. here's the whole friend group, no one left out 🫶:

• 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_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)

like, the whole etherdevice.h friend group?? we love to see it 💖✨

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lowkey a note: short frames get zero-padded to 60 bytes. that's the entire point of the function. don't overthink it, bestie. 🧚

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mwah 💋 and that's the page!! brought to you by that ./include/linux source, October 2026 edition — go off, kernel docs, we're literally obsessed 👑🌈⭐