linkmode_resolve_pause(9)

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual 💖 this page is all about linkmode_resolve_pause, and it's literally the main character of flow control resolution. no cap, it's giving "let's figure out if we should pause" energy ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

linkmode_resolve_pause — resolve the allowable pause modes. periodt 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void linkmode_resolve_pause (const unsigned long *local_adv , const
       unsigned long *partner_adv , bool *tx_pause , bool *rx_pause );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• local_adv — your local advertisement, in ethtool format. it's giving "this is what I'm bringing to the link" ✨
• partner_adv — the link partner's advertisement, also in ethtool format. basically their side of the story 💅
• tx_pause — a pointer to a bool that indicates whether transmit pause should be enabled. so like, should we pause on transmit? this bool holds the answer 🫶
• rx_pause — a pointer to a bool that indicates whether receive pause should be enabled. same vibe, but for receive 😭

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so the tea is: flow control gets resolved according to our advertisement and the link partner's advertisement, using the following table drawn from the 802.3 specs. this is literally the blueprint, bestie 🧚

Local device   Link partner   Result
Pause AsymDir  Pause AsymDir
0     X        0     X        Disabled
0     1        1     0        Disabled
0     1        1     1        TX
1     0        0     X        Disabled
1     X        1     X        TX+RX
1     1        0     1        RX

like, the way that table just tells you the whole story? iconic. 🔥

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• kernel file ./drivers/net/phy/linkmode.c — go read it, iykyk 👑
• linkmode_set_pause(9) — the sibling function, also slay 💜

source: ./drivers/net/phy, October 2026, page: linkmode_resolve_pause(9) — love u, bye bestie 💖✨