netif_start_queue(9)

💅 netif_start_queue — allow transmit

okay so real talk, bestie: this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and the star of the show is netif_start_queue. it's short, it's sweet, it's giving "one job and I do it well" energy. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

netif_start_queue — allow transmit

like, that's it. that's the whole personality. it allows transmit. icon behavior.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void netif_start_queue (struct net_device *dev );

no cap, that's the whole signature. returns nothing (void), takes exactly one thing, and we're gonna talk about that thing right now 👇

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• dev — network device

that's the vibe. it's a pointer to a struct net_device, a.k.a. the network device you're doing this to. one argument, zero drama.

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Allow upper layers to call the device hard_start_xmit routine.

so basically: you're telling the layers above "hey, you're cleared to call hard_start_xmit on this device." it's the green light 🟢 the "come through" text. the queue is open for business and the upper layers are allowed to hit that transmit path.

lowkey the whole point is permission — this function is how you grant it. periodt.

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

the whole friend group showed up for this one, and honestly? obsessed. here's every single one, no skips, fr fr:

• kernel file ./include/linux/netdevice.h, and struct gro_node(9)
• 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(9)
• netif_napi_add_config(9)
• netif_napi_add_tx(9)
• __netif_napi_del(9)
• netif_napi_del(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)

like I said. the whole squad. go read them, they're all slay 💜

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friendly reminder bestie: this page lives under ./include/linux, dated October 2026, and it's netif_start_queue(9) all day. mwah 💋 go start some queues responsibly 🧚‍♀️✨