netif_napi_add(9)

💅 netif_napi_add(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual page, bestie

okay so picture this: you're in the kernel, you've got a network device, and you need NAPI to actually work. This is the function that sets the whole thing up. It's giving "prerequisite energy" — you literally cannot skip it. 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

netif_napi_add — initialize a NAPI context 🌸

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

void netif_napi_add (struct net_device *dev , struct napi_struct *napi ,
int (*poll)(struct napi_struct *, int) );

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• dev — the network device. your main character, the actual hardware-adjacent vibes.
• napi — the NAPI context. this is the thing you're initializing, bestie.
• poll — the polling function. yep, it's a function pointer, yes it's int (*poll)(struct napi_struct *, int), no we are not scared of it.

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So here's the tea: netif_napi_add must be used to initialize a NAPI context prior to calling any of the other NAPI-related functions.

Not me emphasizing any — that's the manpage's emphasis, not mine, and it is LOWKEY SERIOUS. initialize first. always. no cap. 💀

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./include/linux/netdevice.h struct gro_node(9), plus the whole extended friend group 💜:

• napi_is_scheduled(9)
• napi_schedule(9)
• napi_schedule_irqoff(9)
• napi_complete_done(9)
• napi_synchronize(9)
• napi_if_scheduled_mark_missed(9)
• enum netdev_priv_flags(9)
• struct net_device(9)
• netdev_priv(9)
• netdev_from_priv(9)
• netif_napi_add_config(9)
• netif_napi_add_tx(9)
• __netif_napi_del(9)
• netif_napi_del(9)
• netif_start_queue(9)
• netif_wake_queue(9)
• netif_stop_queue(9)
• netif_queue_stopped(9)
• netdev_queue_set_dql_min_limit(9)
• netdev_txq_bql_enqueue_prefetchw(9)
• netdev_txq_bql_complete_prefetchw(9)
• netdev_tx_sent_queue(9)
• netdev_sent_queue(9)
• netdev_tx_completed_queue(9)
• netdev_completed_queue(9)
• netdev_tx_reset_subqueue(9)
• netdev_reset_queue(9)
• netdev_cap_txqueue(9)
• netif_running(9)
• netif_start_subqueue(9)
• netif_stop_subqueue(9)
• __netif_subqueue_stopped(9)
• netif_subqueue_stopped(9)
• netif_wake_subqueue(9)
• netif_attr_test_mask(9)
• netif_attr_test_online(9)
• netif_attrmask_next(9)
• netif_attrmask_next_and(9)
• netif_is_multiqueue(9)
• dev_hold(9)
• dev_put(9)
• linkwatch_sync_dev(9)
• netif_carrier_ok(9)
• netif_dormant_on(9)
• netif_dormant_off(9)
• netif_dormant(9)
• netif_testing_on(9)
• netif_testing_off(9)
• netif_testing(9)
• netif_oper_up(9)
• netif_device_present(9)
• netif_tx_lock(9)
• __dev_uc_sync(9)
• __dev_uc_unsync(9)
• __dev_mc_sync(9)
• __dev_mc_unsync(9)

that's the entire list, i counted, we did not skip a single one because that would be a crime 🙈

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and that's the page, bestie!! brought to you by the fine people at ./include/linux, dated October 2026 ⭐ slay, read the docs, initialize your NAPI context, bye 💅✨