STRUCT CFG80211_RX_INFO(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 struct cfg80211_rx_info(9) 💅

okay so bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual — we're doing struct cfg80211_rx_info today and honestly? she's a lil baddie. this is the struct that carries all the info about a received management frame. very "i know what you did last summer" of her. let's get into it ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

struct cfg80211_rx_info — received management frame info, periodt. she's holding the receipts on a management frame that just showed up. 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

struct cfg80211_rx_info {
    int freq;
    int sig_dbm;
    bool have_link_id;
    u8 link_id;
    const u8 *buf;
    size_t len;
    u32 flags;
    u64 rx_tstamp;
    u64 ack_tstamp;
 };

like, that's the whole vibe right there. now let's meet the members one by one, no skipping, we're doing all of them 🫶

🎀 Members 🎀

  • freq — the frequency the frame was received on, in kHz. yes kHz, not MHz, don't come for me. it's giving precise. 📻
  • sig_dbm — the signal strength in dBm — OR 0 if it's unknown. so if you see a 0 don't be like "omg no signal", it literally just means nobody knows. 🙈
  • have_link_id — this lil bool is the "is it valid tho" flag. it indicates the frame was received on a link of an MLD, i.e. the link_id field is valid. so like, if this is false, link_id is just sitting there being decorative. 💀
  • link_id — the ID of the link the frame was received on. only trustworthy when have_link_id says so, iykyk. 🔗
  • buf — the management frame itself: header + body. the main character, fr fr. 📨
  • len — length of the frame data. gotta know how much of buf is actually real. 📏
  • flags — flags, as defined in enum nl80211_rxmgmt_flags. go look at that enum, she's the source of truth. 🚩
  • rx_tstamp — hardware timestamp of the frame RX, in nanoseconds. when did it arrive? she knows. ⏱️
  • ack_tstamp — hardware timestamp of the ack TX, in nanoseconds. when did we clap back? she knows that too. 👑

that's part 1 bestie, don't go anywhere — more is coming and we're not signing off yet 💜

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

okay bestie, this is the part where the manpage hands you the entire extended fam 💅 like genuinely, this is the guest list for the function's birthday party, and it is long. Every single one of these is a real page you can go read with man 9 <thing>, so keep this list close — it's basically your map of the whole cfg80211 cinematic universe 🎀

The mothership, right at the top:

  • Kernel file ./include/net/cfg80211.h, Introduction(9), Device registration(9)

Then the channel-and-rate girlies, the ones who decide what a channel even is:

  • enum ieee80211_channel_flags(9), struct ieee80211_channel(9), enum ieee80211_rate_flags(9), enum ieee80211_bss_type(9), enum ieee80211_privacy(9), struct ieee80211_rate(9), struct ieee80211_he_obss_pd(9), struct cfg80211_he_bss_color(9)

The capability collection — ht, vht, he, eht, uhr, the whole alphabet mafia 🔥:

  • struct ieee80211_sta_ht_cap(9), struct ieee80211_sta_vht_cap(9), struct ieee80211_sta_he_cap(9), struct ieee80211_eht_mcs_nss_supp(9), struct ieee80211_sta_eht_cap(9), struct ieee80211_sta_uhr_cap(9), struct ieee80211_sband_iftype_data(9)

Bands and bandwidth configs, no cap:

  • enum ieee80211_edmg_bw_config(9), struct ieee80211_edmg(9), struct ieee80211_sta_s1g_cap(9), struct ieee80211_supported_band(9)

And the little helper squad that fetches all that band data for you 🫶:

the configuration section of the fam

Actions and configuration(9) is the hub, and honestly it ate. Around it:

  • struct vif_params(9), struct key_params(9), struct cfg80211_chan_def(9), struct cfg80211_tid_cfg(9), struct cfg80211_tid_config(9), struct cfg80211_fils_aad(9), struct cfg80211_set_hw_timestamp(9)

The chandef girlies — channel definition is their whole personality and honestly, slay 💅:

survey + crypto + AP energy 👑

  • enum survey_info_flags(9), struct survey_info(9), struct cfg80211_crypto_settings(9)

The beacon-adjacent icons, MLO girlies included 🦋:

  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_config(9), struct cfg80211_mbssid_elems(9), struct cfg80211_rnr_elems(9), struct cfg80211_beacon_data(9), struct cfg80211_acl_data(9), struct cfg80211_fils_discovery(9), struct cfg80211_unsol_bcast_probe_resp(9), struct cfg80211_s1g_short_beacon(9)

AP settings and updates, the main character energy of the whole file:

  • struct cfg80211_ap_settings(9), struct cfg80211_ap_update(9), struct cfg80211_csa_settings(9), struct cfg80211_color_change_settings(9), struct iface_combination_params(9)

the station girlies 🌸

  • enum station_parameters_apply_mask(9), struct sta_txpwr(9), struct link_station_parameters(9), struct link_station_del_parameters(9), struct cfg80211_ttlm_params(9), struct station_parameters(9), struct station_del_parameters(9)
  • enum cfg80211_station_type(9), cfg80211_check_station_change(9), enum rate_info_flags(9), enum rate_info_bw(9), struct rate_info(9)
  • enum bss_param_flags(9), struct sta_bss_parameters(9), struct cfg80211_txq_stats(9), struct cfg80211_tid_stats(9), struct link_station_info(9), struct station_info(9)

Power limits, because somebody has to be responsible (not me):

  • struct cfg80211_sar_sub_specs(9), struct cfg80211_sar_specs(9), struct cfg80211_sar_freq_ranges(9), struct cfg80211_sar_capa(9), cfg80211_get_station(9)
  • enum monitor_flags(9), enum mpath_info_flags(9), struct mpath_info(9), enum wiphy_bss_param_flags(9), struct bss_parameters(9)

Mesh, OCB, and txq, the niche faves that still deserve love 🍓:

  • struct mesh_config(9), struct mesh_setup(9), struct ocb_setup(9), struct ieee80211_txq_params(9)

scanning era ✨

Scanning and BSS list handling(9) is the vibe check headquarters, fr fr:

  • struct cfg80211_ssid(9), struct cfg80211_scan_info(9), struct cfg80211_scan_6ghz_params(9), struct cfg80211_scan_request(9), struct cfg80211_match_set(9), struct cfg80211_sched_scan_plan(9), struct cfg80211_bss_select_adjust(9), struct cfg80211_sched_scan_request(9)
  • enum cfg80211_signal_type(9), struct cfg80211_inform_bss(9), struct cfg80211_bss_ies(9), struct cfg80211_bss(9), ieee80211_bss_get_elem(9), ieee80211_bss_get_ie(9)

Auth, assoc and the whole connection storyline 😭:

  • struct cfg80211_auth_request(9), struct cfg80211_assoc_link(9), struct cfg80211_ml_reconf_req(9), enum cfg80211_assoc_req_flags(9), struct cfg80211_assoc_request(9), struct cfg80211_deauth_request(9), struct cfg80211_disassoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ibss_params(9), struct cfg80211_bss_selection(9), struct cfg80211_connect_params(9), enum cfg80211_connect_params_changed(9), enum wiphy_params_flags(9), struct cfg80211_pmksa(9)

wowlan / power-save icons 🔥

  • struct cfg80211_pkt_pattern(9), struct cfg80211_wowlan_tcp(9), struct cfg80211_wowlan(9), struct cfg80211_coalesce_rules(9), struct cfg80211_coalesce(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_match(9), struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_info(9), struct cfg80211_wowlan_wakeup(9), struct cfg80211_gtk_rekey_data(9), struct cfg80211_update_ft_ies_params(9), struct cfg80211_mgmt_tx_params(9)

QoS & DSCP, lowkey underrated:

  • struct cfg80211_dscp_exception(9), struct cfg80211_dscp_range(9), struct cfg80211_qos_map(9)

NAN besties 🧚

Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)(9) — the extrovert of the subsystem:

  • struct cfg80211_nan_band_config(9), struct cfg80211_nan_conf(9), struct cfg80211_nan_channel(9), struct cfg80211_nan_local_sched(9), struct cfg80211_nan_peer_map(9), struct cfg80211_nan_peer_sched(9), enum cfg80211_nan_conf_changes(9), struct cfg80211_nan_func_filter(9), struct cfg80211_nan_func(9)

ranging + auth extras

  • struct cfg80211_pmk_conf(9), struct cfg80211_external_auth_params(9), struct cfg80211_ftm_responder_stats(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_result(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_result(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_request_peer(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_request_peer(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_request(9), struct cfg80211_update_owe_info(9), struct mgmt_frame_regs(9)

the driver-facing queen 👑

struct cfg80211_ops(9) — if you're writing a driver, this is the one:

  • enum wiphy_flags(9), struct ieee80211_iface_limit(9), struct ieee80211_iface_combination(9)
  • enum wiphy_wowlan_support_flags(9), struct wiphy_wowlan_support(9), struct wiphy_coalesce_support(9), enum wiphy_vendor_command_flags(9), enum wiphy_opmode_flag(9), struct sta_opmode_info(9), struct wiphy_vendor_command(9)
  • struct wiphy_iftype_ext_capab(9), cfg80211_get_iftype_ext_capa(9), struct cfg80211_pmsr_capabilities(9), struct wiphy_iftype_akm_suites(9), struct wiphy_radio_cfg(9), struct wiphy_radio_freq_range(9), struct wiphy_radio(9), enum wiphy_nan_flags(9), struct wiphy_nan_capa(9)

the wiphy lifecycle glow-up ⭐

Birth, registration, and the whole glow-up arc:

Locking, because we're responsible (sometimes) 🙈:

Work scheduling icons, all four flavours — regular, delayed, and hrtimer:

Devices and power:

utility functions 🎀

Utility functions(9) — the "small but mighty" section:

Header-length besties:

data path helpers 🦋

Data path helpers(9) — where the packets actually go:

Element hunting, the find_* family (there are so many and honestly? obsessed):

regulatory infrastructure 👑

Regulatory enforcement infrastructure(9) — the law, literally:

Internal regulatory db functions(9) — the back office:

BSS + MLME report girlies 🌈

rfkill, vendor + test mode 💅

RFkill integration(9) — the airplane-mode corner:

Vendor commands(9) — where drivers get to do their own thing:

Test mode(9) — yes it's real, yes it's iconic:

connect / roam / notify — the plot ✨

Mgmt frame receive/send, the group chat of frames:

CQM notifications, the "are you okay babe" of the stack 😭:

Radar, CAC, and the rest of the drama:

And the final stretch, spurious frames and beacon reporting, right up to the end:

okay so that's the whole guest list 💖 ngl, seeing it all written out like this is a lot — but every single one of these has its own page, so you can go read any of them whenever. periodt. stay tuned for what's next 🎀

okay that's literally the whole extended fam, you're so welcome 😭🫶 go forth and read the ones you actually need — or don't, I'm not your mom, but like… the kernel will notice.

This little page lives in ./include/net, dated October 2026, and she's filed under struct cfg80211_rx_info(9). mwah, bye bestie 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from