ieee80211_pa...ch_switch_ie(9)

💅 NAME 💅

ok so this is ieee80211_parse_ch_switch_ie from the Kernel API Manual — and bestie, it parses channel switch IEs. that's literally the whole vibe. it takes your channel-switch information elements and reads them so the rest of the kernel knows what's up. slay.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int ieee80211_parse_ch_switch_ie (struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata ,
struct ieee802_11_elems *elems , enum nl80211_band current_band , u32
vht_cap_info , struct ieee80211_conn_settings *conn , u8 *bssid , bool
unprot_action , struct ieee80211_csa_ie *csa_ie );

like, that's the signature. copy it exactly, don't @ me 🫶

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• sdata — the sdata of the interface that received the frame. it's giving "who got the mail" energy 💌
• elems — the parsed 802.11 elements that came in with the frame. already parsed, so you're not doing that work again ✨
• current_band — tells you the current band. like, where we at rn 🌈
• vht_cap_info — the VHT capabilities of the transmitter. the sender's little resumé of what it can do 💅
• conn — contains info about your own capabilities and restrictions, so the function can decide which channel switch announcements can actually be accepted. main character energy — it's about you, not the sender 👑
• bssid — the currently connected bssid (for reporting). iykyk 📍
• unprot_action — whether the frame was an unprotected frame or not, used for reporting. yes, it matters, no, don't skip it 🙈
• csa_ie — the parsed 802.11 csa elements on count, mode, chandef and mesh ttl. all of them get filled in only if it succeeds — so if it fails, don't go reading that struct, bestie, it's not gonna be cute 💀

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🌟 RETURN 🌟

• 0 — success, we ate 🍓
• <0 — error, something went wrong 😭
• >0 — there is nothing to parse. not an error, just... nothing. lowkey iconic that it gets its own positivity tier ✨

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

the kernel file ./net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h plus this whole friend group:

• enum ieee80211_bss_corrupt_data_flags(9)
• enum ieee80211_bss_valid_data_flags(9)
• enum ieee80211_packet_rx_flags(9)
• enum ieee80211_rx_flags(9)
• struct ieee80211_if_ocb(9)
• struct ieee80211_mesh_sync_ops(9)
• struct mesh_table(9)
• struct mesh_tx_cache(9)
• enum ieee80211_sub_if_data_flags(9)
• enum ieee80211_sdata_state_bits(9)
• enum ieee80211_chanctx_mode(9)
• enum ieee80211_chanctx_replace_state(9)
• struct txq_info(9)
• struct ieee80211_if_nan(9)
• struct ieee80211_if_nan_data(9)
• enum mac80211_scan_flags(9)
• enum mac80211_scan_state(9)
• struct ieee80211_elems_parse_params(9)

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ok that's the whole page, no notes 💖 go parse those channel switch IEs, bestie.

mwah 💋 this little gem lives in ./net/mac80211, dated October 2026 — same page name, same energy, see u next time 🦋