STRUCT KS8851_NET(9)

✨ struct ks8851_net(9) — the KS8851 driver's private data 💅

okay so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? it's the whole private-data glow-up for the KS8851 driver. every field, every callback, every cached register copy — it's all here. let's get into it 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

struct ks8851_net {
    struct net_device       *netdev;
    spinlock_t statelock;
    union ks8851_tx_hdr     txh;
    u8 rxd[8];
    u8 txd[8];
    u32 msg_enable;
    u16 tx_space;
    u8 fid;
    u16 rc_ier;
    u16 rc_rxqcr;
    u16 rc_ccr;
    struct mii_if_info      mii;
    struct ks8851_rxctrl    rxctrl;
    struct work_struct      rxctrl_work;
    struct sk_buff_head     txq;
    unsigned int            queued_len;
    struct eeprom_93cx6     eeprom;
    struct regulator        *vdd_reg;
    struct regulator        *vdd_io;
    struct gpio_desc        *gpio;
    struct mii_bus          *mii_bus;
    void (*lock)(struct ks8851_net *ks);
    void (*unlock)(struct ks8851_net *ks);
    unsigned int            (*rdreg16)(struct ks8851_net *ks, unsigned int reg);
    void (*wrreg16)(struct ks8851_net *ks, unsigned int reg, unsigned int val);
    void (*rdfifo)(struct ks8851_net *ks, u8 *buff, unsigned int len);
    void (*wrfifo)(struct ks8851_net *ks, struct sk_buff *txp, bool irq);
    netdev_tx_t (*start_xmit)(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev);
    void (*flush_tx_work)(struct ks8851_net *ks);
 };

like, look at all those function pointers. she's literally a vtable with a netdev attached 🦋

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💜 Members 💜

no skipping, bestie — every single one:

• netdev — the network device we're bound to. our main character 🔥
• statelock — lock on this structure for tx list.
• txh — space for generating packet TX header in DMA-able data.
• rxd — space for receiving SPI data, in DMA-able space.
• txd — space for transmitting SPI data, in DMA-able space.
• msg_enable — the message flags controlling driver output (see ethtool).
• tx_space — free space in the hardware TX buffer (cached copy of KS_TXMIR).
• fid — incrementing frame id tag.
• rc_ier — cached copy of KS_IER.
• rc_rxqcr — cached copy of KS_RXQCR.
• rc_ccr — cached copy of KS_CCR.
• mii — the MII state information for the mii calls.
• rxctrl — RX settings for rxctrl_work.
• rxctrl_work — work queue for updating RX mode and multicast lists.
• txq — queue of packets for transmission.
• queued_len — space required in hardware TX buffer for queued packets in txq.
• eeprom — 93CX6 EEPROM state for accessing on-board EEPROM.
• vdd_reg — optional regulator supplying the chip.
• vdd_io — optional digital power supply for IO.
• gpio — optional reset_n gpio.
• mii_bus — pointer to MII bus structure.
• lock — bus access lock callback.
• unlock — bus access unlock callback.
• rdreg16 — 16bit register read callback.
• wrreg16 — 16bit register write callback.
• rdfifo — FIFO read callback.
• wrfifo — FIFO write callback.
• start_xmit — start_xmit implementation callback.
• flush_tx_work — flush_tx_work implementation callback.

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🫶 Description 🫶

so statelock is doing the whole bodyguard thing 💅 — it protects information in the structure which may need to be accessed via several sources, such as the network driver layer or one of the work queues. multi-source access? she's got it handled, no cap.

and we align the buffers we may use for rx/tx to ensure that if the SPI driver wants to DMA map them, it will not have any problems with data the driver modifies. alignment era ✨ like yes, respect the DMA mapping, it's the bare minimum.

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• Kernel file ./drivers/net/ethernet/micrel/ks8851.h
• struct ks8851_rxctrl(9)
• union ks8851_tx_hdr(9)
• ks8851_done_tx(9)

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okay that's the whole vibe check, you now know every field in struct ks8851_net fr fr 🧚💖 courtesy of the source dir ./drivers/net/ethernet/micrel, dated October 2026, page struct ks8851_net(9) — go forth and slay your networking bugs, bestie 🌈⭐