phylink_destroy(9)

💅 phylink_destroy(9) — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense 🎀

okay so this one's from the kernel API manual, section 9 (that's the kernel-functions girlies, iykyk) and honestly? it's giving "short and iconic." let's get into it ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

phylink_destroy — cleanup and destroy the phylink instance. yes bestie, both. she cleans up AND she destroys. multi-hyphenate 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

void phylink_destroy (struct phylink *pl );

so it returns nothing (void, she gives nothing back, queen behavior) and takes exactly one arg. no cap.

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• pl — a pointer to a struct phylink returned from phylink_create. like, it has to be one you actually got from phylink_create, okay? not just some random pointer you found lying around. 🙈

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so what this does is it destroys a phylink instance. periodt. that's the whole vibe.

but here's the part you actually need to remember: any PHY that has been attached must have been cleaned up via phylink_disconnect_phy prior to calling this function. like, before. not after. not "eh, close enough." before. if you skip that step you're gonna have a bad time 😭

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⚠️ NOTE ⚠️

the rtnl lock must not be held when calling this function.

like, at all. not even a little. put it down first bestie 🫶 holding it is a no-no, 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_create(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 whole page, bestie! 🎀 sourced straight from ./drivers/net/phy, dated October 2026 — yes, the future. she's ahead of her time 💫 stay safe, disconnect your PHY first, and don't hold that rtnl lock. mwah! 🫶💖