igb_read_mac_addr(9)

💖 igb_read_mac_addr(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition 💖

okay so we're in the igb section of the Kernel API Manual and today's main character is igb_read_mac_addr — the little function that goes and gets your device's MAC address. it's giving "who am I really" but for a network card. slay. 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

igb_read_mac_addr — Read device MAC address 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

s32 igb_read_mac_addr (struct e1000_hw *hw );

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✨ ARGUMENTS ✨

• hw — pointer to the HW structure 🌸 (like, the whole hardware vibe in one struct, iykyk)

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So here's the tea ☕: this function reads the device MAC address from the EEPROM and stores the value. No cap, that's the whole job. 🎀

And because devices with two ports use the same EEPROM, we increment the last bit in the MAC address for the second port. Two ports, one EEPROM, last bit gets a little +1 glow-up so they don't twin too hard. ✨👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/igb/e1000_nvm.c — literally the file, go read it bestie 📖

• igb_raise_eec_clk(9)
• igb_lower_eec_clk(9)
• igb_shift_out_eec_bits(9)
• igb_shift_in_eec_bits(9)
• igb_poll_eerd_eewr_done(9)
• igb_acquire_nvm(9)
• igb_standby_nvm(9)
• e1000_stop_nvm(9)
• igb_release_nvm(9)
• igb_ready_nvm_eeprom(9)
• igb_read_nvm_spi(9)
• igb_read_nvm_eerd(9)
• igb_write_nvm_spi(9)
• igb_read_part_string(9)
• igb_validate_nvm_checksum(9)
• igb_update_nvm_checksum(9)
• igb_get_fw_version(9)

the whole NVM friend group fr fr 🧚💜

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okay that's the whole page, hope it ate 💖 this gem lives in ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/igb, dated October 2026, under the title igb_read_mac_addr(9) — mwah, bye bestie! 🦋🌟