genlmsg_parse(9)

💖 genlmsg_parse(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual, bestie 💖

okay so real talk, we're deep in the kernel API docs today — this is genlmsg_parse, a page from the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? it's giving "tiny function, huge responsibility." she parses the attributes of a genetlink message, and yes, that's the whole vibe. ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

genlmsg_parse — parse attributes of a genetlink message 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int genlmsg_parse (const struct nlmsghdr *nlh , const struct genl_family
*family , struct nlattr *tb[] , int maxtype , const struct nla_policy
*policy , struct netlink_ext_ack *extack );

bestie. look at her. six arguments, one int return, zero chill. 🫶

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• nlh — the netlink message header. literally the starting point of the whole thing, the main character of this call ngl 👑
• family — the genetlink message family. she's the one who knows the lore, iykyk 💅
• tb — destination array with maxtype+1 elements. not maxtype, not maxtype+2 — maxtype+1. do not come for her off-by-one, she invented the boundary 😭
• maxtype — maximum attribute type to be expected. the cap, the limit, the "we don't do more than this here" 🌈
• policy — validation policy. she's the vibe check in function form, fr fr ✨
• extack — extended ACK report struct. when something goes sideways she's the one who writes it down 📝

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

all the siblings!! the whole friend group!! go say hi!! 🫶

Kernel file ./include/net/genetlink.h 💜

• struct genl_multicast_group(9)
• struct genl_family(9)
• struct genl_info(9)
• struct genl_small_ops(9)
• struct genl_ops(9)
• struct genl_split_ops(9)
• struct genl_dumpit_info(9)
• genl_info_init_ntf(9)
• genlmsg_iput(9)
• genlmsg_nlhdr(9)
• genlmsg_parse_deprecated(9)
• genl_dump_check_consistent(9)
• genlmsg_put_reply(9)
• genlmsg_end(9)
• genlmsg_cancel(9)
• genlmsg_multicast_netns_filtered(9)
• genlmsg_multicast_netns(9)
• genlmsg_multicast(9)
• genlmsg_multicast_allns(9)
• genlmsg_unicast(9)
• genlmsg_reply(9)
• genlmsg_data(9)
• genlmsg_len(9)
• genlmsg_msg_size(9)
• genlmsg_total_size(9)
• genlmsg_new(9)
• genl_set_err(9)

like, that's the entire group chat and every single one of them is a baddie in her own right 💀

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k bye, this page lives in ./include/net, it's from October 2026, and it's page genlmsg_parse(9) of the Kernel API Manual — mwah, slay, go parse something, periodt 💅💖🎀