ethnl_parse_header_dev_get(9)

💅 ethnl_parse_header_dev_get(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual one, bestie 🎀

okay so this one lives in the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the function that parses your request header. no cap, that's the whole NAME vibe:

NAME — ethnl_parse_header_dev_get — parse request header ✨

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int ethnl_parse_header_dev_get (struct ethnl_req_info *req_info , const
       struct nlattr *header , struct net *net , struct netlink_ext_ack *extack
       , bool require_dev );

like, yes, it's a whole handful of arguments. we get it. it's giving "long signature energy" and honestly? we respect it 🫶

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• req_info — the structure where the results go. it's the little container you're filling up, bestie 💖
• header — the nest attribute with the request header in it. that's the nest we're digging through 🧚
• net — the request netns. network namespace central, iykyk 🌈
• extack — netlink extack, used for error reporting. so when stuff goes wrong, this is who snitches 💀
• require_dev — fail if no device identified in header. like, if there's no device? it's over. it fails. periodt 🙈

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so here's the tea ☕ — it parses the request header inside the nested attribute nest and puts the results into the structure that req_info points to. the extack from info is what gets used for error reporting, so the drama gets reported properly.

and now the important part, bestie, pay attention 👑: if req_info->dev is not null on return, then a reference to it has been taken. if an error is returned, *req_info is null initialized and no reference is held. no sneaky lurking references, we love a clean exit ✨

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⭐ RETURN ⭐

0 on success, or a negative error code. that's it. that's the whole vibe check 😌

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Kernel file ./net/ethtool/netlink.c
• ethnl_fill_reply_header(9)
• ethnl_reply_init(9)
• struct ethnl_dump_ctx(9)
• struct ethnl_perphy_dump_ctx(9)
• ethnl_default_parse(9)
• ethnl_init_reply_data(9)

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and that's the whole page, bestie 💜 this one's from ./net/ethtool, dated October 2026, and it's literally titled ethnl_parse_header_dev_get(9). slay, go read the source, ily 🎀✨