phylink_create(9)

💅 phylink_create(9) — the Kernel API Manual glow-up ✨

okay so first things first, bestie: this page lives in the Kernel API Manual, it's phylink_create(9), and it's literally the birth certificate for a phylink instance. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

phylink_create — create a phylink instance 🦋 (yes that's the whole name section, she's simple and she's iconic)

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct phylink * phylink_create (struct phylink_config *config , const
struct fwnode_handle *fwnode , phy_interface_t iface , const struct
phylink_mac_ops *mac_ops );

four arguments, one pointer out, no cap 💅

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🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• config — a pointer to the target struct phylink_config. that's the config bestie, it's giving "here's my whole personality" 🎀
• fwnode — a pointer to a struct fwnode_handle describing the network interface 🌈
• iface — the desired link mode, defined by typedef phy_interface_t ⭐
• mac_ops — a pointer to a struct phylink_mac_ops for the MAC 👑

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so this is the main character function: it creates a new phylink instance, and it parses the link parameters found in np. like, all of them. this will parse in-band modes, fixed-link or SFP configuration — the whole vibe check 🔥

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💀 NOTE 💀

bestie. listen. the rtnl lock must not be held when calling this function. like, do not. 😭 that's a hard no.

it returns a pointer to a struct phylink, or an error-pointer value. users must use IS_ERR to check for errors from this function — don't skip the vibe check on the return value, fr fr 🙈

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⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

the whole friend group, in order, no one left out 🧚:

• Kernel file ./drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
• struct phylink(9)
• phylink_set_port_modes(9)
• phylink_interface_max_speed(9)
• phylink_caps_to_link_caps(9)
• phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(9)
• phylink_limit_mac_speed(9)
• phylink_cap_from_speed_duplex(9)
• phylink_get_capabilities(9)
• phylink_validate_mask_caps(9)
• phylink_pcs_neg_mode(9)
• phylink_set_fixed_link(9)
• phylink_destroy(9)
• phylink_expects_phy(9)
• phylink_connect_phy(9)
• phylink_of_phy_connect(9)
• phylink_fwnode_phy_connect(9)
• phylink_disconnect_phy(9)
• phylink_mac_change(9)
• phylink_pcs_change(9)
• phylink_start(9)
• phylink_stop(9)
• phylink_rx_clk_stop_block(9)
• phylink_rx_clk_stop_unblock(9)
• phylink_suspend(9)
• phylink_prepare_resume(9)
• phylink_resume(9)
• phylink_ethtool_get_wol(9)
• phylink_ethtool_set_wol(9)
• phylink_ethtool_ksettings_get(9)
• phylink_ethtool_ksettings_set(9)
• phylink_ethtool_nway_reset(9)
• phylink_ethtool_get_pauseparam(9)
• phylink_ethtool_set_pauseparam(9)
• phylink_get_eee_err(9)
• phylink_ethtool_get_eee(9)
• phylink_ethtool_set_eee(9)
• phylink_mii_ioctl(9)
• phylink_speed_down(9)
• phylink_speed_up(9)
• phylink_decode_usxgmii_word(9)
• phylink_decode_usgmii_word(9)
• phylink_mii_c22_pcs_decode_state(9)
• phylink_mii_c22_pcs_get_state(9)
• phylink_mii_c22_pcs_encode_advertisement(9)
• phylink_mii_c22_pcs_config(9)
• phylink_mii_c22_pcs_an_restart(9)
• phylink_replay_link_begin(9)
• phylink_replay_link_end(9)

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and that's the page, periodt 💜 this lil masterpiece comes from ./drivers/net/phy, dated October 2026, and it's filed under phylink_create(9) — go create something iconic, bestie 🦋✨