STRUCT HW_MODE_SPEC(9)

🌸 struct hw_mode_spec(9) — Kernel API Manual energy 🌸

okay bestie, buckle up, because this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual and it's literally all about one struct. yes, one. and it's kind of a big deal for wifi chipsets. let's get into it 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

struct hw_mode_spec — the Hardware specifications structure 🎀 like, the whole vibe of a chipset in one neat little box.

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

here's the whole thing, verbatim, no cap:

struct hw_mode_spec {
    unsigned int supported_bands;
  #define SUPPORT_BAND_2GHZ       0x00000001;
  #define SUPPORT_BAND_5GHZ       0x00000002;
    unsigned int supported_rates;
  #define SUPPORT_RATE_CCK        0x00000001;
  #define SUPPORT_RATE_OFDM       0x00000002;
    unsigned int num_channels;
    const struct rf_channel *channels;
    const struct channel_info *channels_info;
    struct ieee80211_sta_ht_cap ht;
 };

look at those #defines just living inside the struct body. iconic behavior honestly 🫶

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💖 Members 💖

• supported_bands — a bitmask that contains the supported bands (2.4GHz, 5.2GHz). bitmask bestie, so you can stack 'em 🌈
• supported_rates — which rate types are supported (CCK, OFDM). pick your fighter ⭐
• num_channels — the number of supported channels. and heads up: this is used as the array size for tx_power_a, tx_power_bg and channels — so it's not just decor, it's structural, iykyk 💀
• channels — device/chipset specific channel values (See struct rf_channel). the actual channel numbers, personalized per chipset 💅
• channels_info — additional information for channels (See struct channel_info). the extra lore 🎀
• ht — Driver HT Capabilities (See ieee80211_sta_ht_cap). high throughput stuff, main character energy 👑

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🔥 Description 🔥

so basically: this struct holds details about the supported modes, rates and channels of a particular chipset. and the way that rt2x00lib uses it? it builds the ieee80211_hw_mode array for mac80211. literally the glow-up pipeline from chipset facts → mac80211 config. slay ✨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Kernel file ./drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00.h

and the whole friend group:

• rt2x00queue_map_txskb(9)
• rt2x00queue_unmap_skb(9)
• rt2x00queue_get_tx_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_get_entry(9)
• rt2x00queue_pause_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_unpause_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_start_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_stop_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_flush_queue(9)
• rt2x00queue_start_queues(9)
• rt2x00queue_stop_queues(9)
• rt2x00queue_flush_queues(9)
• rt2x00debug_dump_frame(9)

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ngl that's a lot of queue functions. they really said "queue" 12 times and meant it 💀

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and that's the page, bestie 🧚 this lil' writeup came from ./drivers/net/wireless/ralink/... and it's dated October 2026 — catch you in the next struct hw_mode_spec(9) reading session, mwah 💜🍓