nps_enet_set_mac_address(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 nps_enet_set_mac_address(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

okay so like, welcome to the Kernel API Manual ✨ this one's a little function from the EZchip NPS ethernet world and it does exactly one (1) job: giving your device its MAC address. slay. let's get into it 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

nps_enet_set_mac_address — set the MAC address for this device. literally that's it, that's the whole vibe 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

s32 nps_enet_set_mac_address (struct net_device *ndev , void *p );

that's the whole signature, no cap. two arguments, returns an s32. iconic 🫶

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • ndev — pointer to the net_device structure. like, the device we're doing this for 🎀
  • p — the 6 byte address that's gonna be written as the MAC address. six bytes, that's the whole thing, don't come at me with more 👑

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so what it actually does — and this part is important so listen up — this function copies the HW address from the sockaddr structure over to the net_device structure, and then it updates the address in the HW too. so it's a double whammy: the software struct gets it and the hardware gets it. main character energy on both fronts fr fr 🌈

no extra steps, no secret tricks, that is the entire bit 🧚

⭐ RETURN ⭐

  • -EBUSY — if the net device is busy 😭 like it's occupied, can't do it right now
  • 0 — if the address was set successfully 🎉 slay

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

kernel file ./drivers/net/ethernet/ezchip/nps_enet.c — go read it, iykyk 💜

and the whole friend group:

all of them, no skips, we love a complete set 🍓

ngl this page lives in ./drivers/net/ethernet/ezchip and it's dated October 2026 — so like, shoutout to the source and the version, they ate and left no crumbs 💀💖 bye bestie, go set some MAC addresses 🦋🌸

📦 where this page comes from