ether_addr_equal_unaligned(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 ether_addr_equal_unaligned — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition 🎀

okay so you know how sometimes you just need to know if two Ethernet addresses are the same, but like... the memory's a little messy and you can't promise everything's lined up all cute on a u16 boundary? yeah. that's literally this function. welcome 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

ether_addr_equal_unaligned — compares two Ethernet addresses that are not u16 aligned 💫

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

bool ether_addr_equal_unaligned(const u8 *addr1, const u8 *addr2);

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • addr1 — a pointer to a six-byte array holding the Ethernet address 🍓
  • addr2 — a pointer to the other six-byte array holding the Ethernet address. yes, also six bytes. they match. it's giving symmetry 💅

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

Compares two Ethernet addresses. returns true if they're equal. slay. that's the whole thing, honestly ✨

please note, and I mean it: use this only when any Ethernet address may not be u16 aligned. that's the entire reason this function exists — the alignment situation. don't come for ether_addr_equal with unaligned addresses, she was not built for that 😭

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

kernel file ./include/linux/etherdevice.h is the mothership, and she's serving the whole friend group:

every single one of them, no cap. iykyk 💜

🌈 okay that's the page!! this little beauty lives in ./include/linux, and this version is dated October 2026 — she's iconic, she's aligned to nothing, and she ate 💀✨ periodt. mwah 🫶💖

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