ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute ✨

okay bestie, so the page header says ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute(9) and it lives in the Kernel API Manual — consider that the intro, we're moving on 🫶

🌸 NAME 🌸

ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute — this one's whole job is literally executing the sending of an FW Admin Command to the FW Admin Command Interface. that's it, that's the vibe 💫

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

int ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute (struct ixgbe_hw *hw , struct
       libie_aq_desc *desc , void *buf , u16 buf_size );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • hw — pointer to the HW struct. the hardware main character 👑
  • desc — the descriptor describing the command. it's giving instruction manual energy 📖
  • buf — buffer to use for indirect commands (NULL for direct commands)
  • buf_size — size of buffer for indirect commands (0 for direct commands)
okay so lowkey important: buf is NULL and buf_size is 0 for direct commands. indirect commands are the ones that get a real buffer. don't mix that up bestie 🙈

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so the Admin Command gets sent using CSR by setting the descriptor and the buffer into specific registers. that's the whole move. no cap 🔥

💜 RETURN 💜

this returns the exit code of the operation, and honestly the codes are all kind of iconic in their own way:

  • 0 — success. we ate 💅
  • -EIO — CSR mechanism is not enabled
  • -EBUSY — CSR mechanism is busy
  • -EINVAL — buf_size is too big, or an invalid argument buf or buf_size
  • -ETIME — Admin Command X command timeout 😭
  • -EIO — Admin Command X invalid state of HICR register, or Admin Command failed because of bad opcode was returned, or Admin Command failed with error Y
yeah -EIO shows up twice, that's not a typo on my end, that's just how it is fr fr 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the kernel file lives at ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_e610.c — go look at it, it's right there 🍓

and here's the full friend group, everybody in the group chat, no one left out:

and that's the whole page bestie, ily, go send some admin commands responsibly 🧚💖

sign-off era: this little gem comes from ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i... (the source/version bit), dated October 2026, and it's filed under ixgbe_aci_send_cmd_execute(9) — periodt 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from