phy_start_aneg(9)

🎀 NAME 🎀 — phy_start_aneg(9) from the Kernel API Manual

okay so bestie, this page is phy_start_aneg(9), and the name line says phy_start_aneg — start auto-negotiation for this PHY device. It's giving "we're starting auto-negotiation for this PHY device," and I'm obsessed. 💖

⚡ SYNOPSIS ⚡

it's literally this signature, copy it exactly:

int phy_start_aneg (struct phy_device *phydev );

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

one argument, periodt:

• phydev — the phy_device struct. That's the whole guest list, bestie. 🫶

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

okay so here's the tea: it sanitizes the settings (if we're not autonegotiating them — iykyk), and then it calls the driver's config_aneg function. If the PHYCONTROL Layer is operating, the state gets changed to reflect the beginning of Auto-negotiation or forcing. No cap, that's the whole flow. ✨

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./drivers/net/phy/phy.c is the home base, and the rest of the friend group is literally right here:

• phy_print_status(9)
• phy_get_rate_matching(9)
• phy_config_interrupt(9)
• phy_restart_aneg(9)
• phy_aneg_done(9)
• phy_supported_speeds(9)
• phy_check_valid(9)
• phy_sanitize_settings(9)
• phy_mii_ioctl(9)
• phy_do_ioctl(9)
• phy_do_ioctl_running(9)
• __phy_hwtstamp_get(9)
• __phy_hwtstamp_set(9)
• phy_queue_state_machine(9)
• phy_trigger_machine(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_strings(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_sset_count(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_stats(9)
• __phy_ethtool_get_phy_stats(9)
• __phy_ethtool_get_link_ext_stats(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_plca_cfg(9)
• plca_check_valid(9)
• phy_ethtool_set_plca_cfg(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_plca_status(9)
• phy_start_cable_test(9)
• phy_start_cable_test_tdr(9)
• phy_check_link_status(9)
• phy_inband_caps(9)
• phy_config_inband(9)
• _phy_start_aneg(9)
• phy_speed_down(9)
• phy_speed_up(9)
• phy_start_machine(9)
• phy_stop_machine(9)
• phy_error(9)
• phy_write_barrier(9)
• phy_disable_interrupts(9)
• phy_interrupt(9)
• phy_enable_interrupts(9)
• phy_update_stats(9)
• phy_request_interrupt(9)
• phy_free_interrupt(9)
• phy_get_next_update_time(9)
• phy_state_machine(9)
• phy_stop(9)
• phy_start(9)
• phy_mac_interrupt(9)
• phy_loopback(9)
• phy_eee_tx_clock_stop_capable(9)
• phy_eee_rx_clock_stop(9)
• phy_init_eee(9)
• phy_get_eee_err(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_eee(9)
• phy_ethtool_set_eee_noneg(9)
• phy_ethtool_set_eee(9)
• phy_ethtool_set_wol(9)
• phy_ethtool_get_wol(9)
• phy_ethtool_nway_reset(9)

Signing off from source/version ./drivers/net/phy, dated October 2026 — phy_start_aneg(9), Kernel API Manual, byeee bestie 💅✨