ice_link_test(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

okay so this is ice_link_test(9), from the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? she's a lil function with one job and she does it. let's get into it bestie ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

ice_link_test — perform a link test on a given net_device

no cap, that's the whole thing. she's a link test. on a net_device. iconic behaviour tbh 💖

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

u64 ice_link_test (struct net_device *netdev );

that's it. one argument. one u64 coming back atcha. copy it exactly like that, spaces and all, because we do not mess with signatures 💅

⭐ ARGUMENTS ⭐

  • netdev — the network interface device structure 🫶 literally the thing she's gonna poke at

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so here's the tea: this function performs one of the self-tests required by ethtool. that's it, that's the vibe. one of the required ones, not a bonus round, not a side quest — required. 🔥

and the returns?

  • Returns 0 on success 🎉 slay
  • Returns non-zero on failure 😭 not slay, but at least you know

like, the contract is genuinely that simple and honestly? we love a low-maintenance function. no hidden agendas. no surprises. just a link test doing link test things. periodt 💜

real talk though: she returns a u64, and 0 means good, non-zero means bad. don't go flipping that in your head, bestie, it will ruin your whole afternoon 🙈

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

okay this is the part where the manpage just. keeps. going. like a group chat at 2am. but every single one of these deserves their shoutout so buckle up 🎀

first, the source file herself:

  • Kernel file ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_ethtool.c

and then the whole extended friend group, in exactly the order they were introduced:

not me listing every single one 😭 but that's the assignment and we don't skip the boring parts in this house 💀 also note __ice_get_coalesce(9) and __ice_set_coalesce(9) have the double underscore — those are the introverted versions, don't @ me, just copy them right 🙈

💖 and that's the whole page, bestie 💖

cute lil sign-off time: this one lives in ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice, dated October 2026, and it goes by ice_link_test(9). mwah 💋 go forth and link test responsibly 🧚‍♀️🌸

📦 where this page comes from