phy_start_cable_test(9)

💅 phy_start_cable_test — like, the whole manual, bestie ✨

okay so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual (yes, that phy_start_cable_test(9) one you keep seeing) and we're gonna get you through it, no cap 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

phy_start_cable_test — start a cable test 💖 that's it, that's the vibe. you kick off a cable test. iconic behaviour, honestly.

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

int phy_start_cable_test (struct phy_device *phydev , struct
       netlink_ext_ack *extack );

it returns an int, bestie. keep that in mind 👀

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• phydev — the phy_device struct. the main character of this whole situation, fr fr 👑
• extack — the netlink_ext_ack used for reporting useful error messages. so when something goes sideways, this is the one that tells you why instead of leaving you guessing 😭

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🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

this list is long long, so buckle up, we're going through all of them because every single one matters 💀

also, the Kernel file for this is ./drivers/net/phy/phy.c — that's where the magic lives ✨

• 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_tdr(9)
• phy_check_link_status(9)
• phy_inband_caps(9)
• phy_config_inband(9)
• _phy_start_aneg(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)

like… that's a whole friend group right there 🌈 and yes, phy_start_cable_test_tdr(9) is literally the sibling of this one, so go say hi 💜

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mwah 💋 that's the page! sourced from ./drivers/net/phy, dated October 2026, and that's the whole thing — you ate, bestie, go test some cables 🎀✨