mac_link_down(9)

💅 mac_link_down(9) — Kernel API Manual 🫶

okay bestie, welcome to mac_link_down(9) from the Kernel API Manual — this is the little notification function that tells your MAC "hey girl, the link went down" 📉💔 and honestly? she's short, she's sweet, she's iconic.

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✨ NAME ✨

mac_link_down — notification that the link has gone down 🌧️

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

void mac_link_down (struct phylink_config *config , unsigned int mode ,
phy_interface_t interface );

like… that's the whole call. no cap, that's it 💅

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• config — a pointer to a struct phylink_config. just a lil pointer, minding her business 🫶
• mode — link autonegotiation mode. this one matters later, trust 🔥
• interface — link typedef phy_interface_t mode. yes the original says "typedef" and "mode", we're not editing the queen's words 💀

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So the whole vibe: this function notifies the MAC that the link has gone down 😭🌧️

⚠️ Big caveat bestie — this will not be called unless mac_link_up has been previously called. so if mac_link_up never ran, don't expect this one to show up. it's giving "you can't break up if you never dated" 💀

The MAC should stop processing packets for transmission and reception. both. at the same time. no half measures, periodt ✋

And here's the part where you gotta not do too much: phylink will have called netif_carrier_off to notify the networking stack that the link has gone down — so MAC drivers should not make this call themselves. like, stay in your lane, the phylink girlies already handled it 💅✨

One more thing, and this is important: if mode is MLO_AN_INBAND, then this function must not prevent the link coming up. do not sabotage the comeback. the link is allowed to rise again like a phoenix 🦋🔥

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./include/linux/phylink.h — and the whole extended friend group:

• struct phylink_link_state(9)
• struct phylink_config(9)
• struct phylink_mac_ops(9)
• mac_get_caps(9)
• mac_select_pcs(9)
• mac_prepare(9)
• mac_config(9)
• mac_finish(9)
• mac_link_up(9)
• mac_disable_tx_lpi(9)
• mac_enable_tx_lpi(9)
• mac_wol_set(9)
• struct phylink_pcs(9)
• struct phylink_pcs_ops(9)
• pcs_validate(9)
• pcs_inband_caps(9)
• pcs_enable(9)
• pcs_disable(9)
• pcs_get_state(9)
• pcs_config(9)
• pcs_an_restart(9)
• pcs_link_up(9)
• pcs_disable_eee(9)
• pcs_enable_eee(9)
• pcs_pre_init(9)
• phylink_get_link_timer_ns(9)
• phylink_mac_implements_lpi(9)

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and that's the page, bestie 🌈✨ this lil icon lives in the kernel file ./include/linux, stamped October 2026 — so go forth, notify that MAC, and remember: <pink>don't call netif_carrier_off yourself, phylink already ate 💖</pink> 🎀🦋