ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb(9) — Kernel API Manual ✨

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual entry for ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb 🎀 this is one of those tiny-but-load-bearing mac80211 helpers that does a whole lot behind the scenes and expects you to hold up your end of the deal. let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb — prepare an 802.11 skb for transmission 💌

like, it's literally the get-ready-with-me step before your frame goes out the door. no cap 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

bool ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb (struct ieee80211_hw *hw , struct
ieee80211_vif *vif , struct sk_buff *skb , int band , struct
ieee80211_sta **sta );

note the bool return, bestie — it's giving "yes or no" energy, not "here's your error code" energy 👑

💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

  • hw — pointer as obtained from ieee80211_alloc_hw. like, the actual hardware handle you got handed at alloc time. don't go making up your own, babe 🙈
  • vif — virtual interface. the one this frame is living its life on ✨
  • skb — frame to be sent from within the driver. yes, from within the driver — this is your driver's own outbound frame, main character behavior only 💅
  • band — the band to transmit on. pick your lane, literally 📡
  • sta — optional pointer to get the station to send the frame to. it's optional, but if you pass it, this is where the station comes back out at you 🫶

👑 RETURN 👑

returns true if the skb was prepared, false otherwise 🤷‍♀️ that's it, that's the whole vibe check.

⚠️ okay this is the important part, so listen up bestie — on failure, the skb is freed by this function; callers must not free it again. not me warning you twice. if you get false back and then go free that skb yourself, that's a double free and the kernel will be SO mad at you 😭 fr fr, do not do it. 💀

🦋 NOTE 🦋

must be called under RCU lock 🔒

that's not a suggestion, that's a rule. get your RCU read lock situation sorted before you call this, or the whole thing is a no 🌈

🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

okay so this is the part where the man page goes absolutely feral and lists, like, the entire mac80211 universe. and i mean all of it. buckle up, bestie — we're going through them all because every single one of these has its own lil moment 💖

like… that's the whole friend group right there 😭 every single one got an invite to the party and honestly? slay 💅

and that's the page, bestie!! go forth, prepare your skbs, hold your RCU lock, and please don't double free 💜

source file: ./include/net · dated October 2026 · stay hydrated and happy hacking 🌸✨🎀

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