genphy_read_status(9)

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

okay so this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and ngl it's a whole little glow-up routine for your ethernet link. sit down, grab a matcha, we're reading a PHY's status. 🍓

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✨ NAME ✨

genphy_read_status — check the link status and update the current link state. that's it, that's the vibe check. 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int genphy_read_status (struct phy_device *phydev );

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• phydev — the target phy_device struct. this is the main character, the one we're reading status on. 👑

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the way this works: first it checks the link, then it figures out the current state by comparing what we advertise with what the link partner advertises. like a little compatibility quiz but for networking. 😭

and the order matters — it starts by checking the gigabit possibilities first (yes queen, gigabit gets priority), and then moves on to 10/100. iconic behavior honestly. ✨🔥

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

the source of truth for all this is the kernel file ./drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c, and here's the whole group chat of related peeps — all of them (9) section, no cap:

• phy_uses_state_machine(9)
• phy_register_fixup(9)
• genphy_match_phy_device(9)
• get_phy_c45_ids(9)
• get_phy_c22_id(9)
• get_phy_device(9)
• phy_device_register(9)
• phy_device_remove(9)
• phy_get_c45_ids(9)
• phy_find_next(9)
• phy_prepare_link(9)
• phy_connect_direct(9)
• phy_connect(9)
• phy_disconnect(9)
• phy_poll_reset(9)
• phy_sfp_connect_phy(9)
• phy_sfp_disconnect_phy(9)
• phy_sfp_attach(9)
• phy_sfp_detach(9)
• phy_sfp_probe(9)
• phy_attach_direct(9)
• phy_detach(9)
• phy_reset_after_clk_enable(9)
• genphy_config_advert(9)
• genphy_c37_config_advert(9)
• genphy_setup_forced(9)
• genphy_restart_aneg(9)
• genphy_check_and_restart_aneg(9)
• __genphy_config_aneg(9)
• genphy_c37_config_aneg(9)
• genphy_aneg_done(9)
• genphy_update_link(9)
• genphy_read_status_fixed(9)
• genphy_c37_read_status(9)
• genphy_soft_reset(9)
• genphy_read_abilities(9)
• phy_remove_link_mode(9)
• phy_advertise_supported(9)
• phy_advertise_eee_all(9)
• phy_support_eee(9)
• phy_disable_eee(9)
• phy_support_sym_pause(9)
• phy_support_asym_pause(9)
• phy_set_sym_pause(9)
• phy_set_asym_pause(9)
• phy_validate_pause(9)
• phy_get_pause(9)
• phy_get_internal_delay(9)
• phy_get_tx_amplitude_gain(9)
• phy_get_mac_termination(9)
• phy_get_sfp_port(9)
• fwnode_mdio_find_device(9)
• fwnode_phy_find_device(9)
• fwnode_get_phy_node(9)
• phy_probe(9)
• phy_driver_register(9)

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and that's the whole page, bestie 💅 — shipped from ./drivers/net/phy, dated October 2026, version genphy_read_status(9). go forth and read those links, mwah 🫶💜