ice_init_pkg(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

✨ NAME ✨

ice_init_pkg — initialize/download package. Okay so real talk: this is the ice_init_pkg(9) page from the Kernel API Manual, and it's basically the “get the package ready” bestie of the ice driver. 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

enum ice_ddp_state ice_init_pkg (struct ice_hw *hw , u8 *buf , u32 len );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

  • hw — pointer to the hardware structure. That's the main-character struct, periodt. 👑
  • buf — pointer to the package buffer. The actual package lives here. 🍓
  • len — size of the package buffer. Gotta know how much buffer we're working with, obviously. 💅

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

Okay so this function initializes a package. The package contains HW tables required to do packet processing — like, that's the whole point, no cap. First, the function extracts package information such as version. Then it finds the ice configuration segment within the package; this function then saves a copy of the segment pointer within the supplied package buffer. Next, the function will cache any hints from the package, followed by downloading the package itself. Note, that if a previous PF driver has already downloaded the package successfully, then the current driver will not have to download the package again. Slay for not doing redundant work. ✨

The local package contents will be used to query default behavior and to update specific sections of the HW's version of the package (e.g. to update the parse graph to understand new protocols). It's giving “learn the new protocols, glow-up the parse graph.” 🌈

This function stores a pointer to the package buffer memory, and it is expected that the supplied buffer will not be freed immediately. If the package buffer needs to be freed, such as when read from a file, use ice_copy_and_init_pkg instead of directly calling ice_init_pkg in this case.

⚠️ Bestie, do not free the supplied buffer immediately — the function keeps a pointer to that package buffer memory. If you need to free it (say, because you read it from a file), use ice_copy_and_init_pkg instead of directly calling ice_init_pkg. That's the whole safety vibe. 🙈

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

💖 okay bye bestie — source/version: ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice · date: October 2026 · ice_init_pkg(9) out. 🎀

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