STRUCT MEDIA_LINK(9)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so bestie, we're in the Kernel API Manual, and this is struct media_link(9) — literally a link object that's part of a media graph. That's the whole vibe. slay 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

No cap, here's the exact struct, character for character:

       struct media_link {
           struct media_gobj graph_obj;
           struct list_head list;
           union {
             struct media_gobj *gobj0;
             struct media_pad *source;
             struct media_interface *intf;
           };
           union {
             struct media_gobj *gobj1;
             struct media_pad *sink;
             struct media_entity *entity;
           };
           struct media_link *reverse;
           unsigned long flags;
           bool is_backlink;
        };

🫶 Members 🫶

field-by-field tea, no skipping: 🍓

• graph_obj — embedded structure containing the media object common data. it's giving "shared info passport" ✨
• list — linked list associated with an entity or an interface that owns the link.
• {unnamed_union} — anonymous. mysterious, unnamed, iconic 🎀
• gobj0 — part of a union. Used to get the pointer for the first graph_object of the link.
• source — part of a union. Used only if the first object (gobj0) is a pad. In that case, it represents the source pad.
• intf — part of a union. Used only if the first object (gobj0) is an interface.
• {unnamed_union} — anonymous. again, no name, still main character 💀
• gobj1 — part of a union. Used to get the pointer for the second graph_object of the link.
• sink — part of a union. Used only if the second object (gobj1) is a pad. In that case, it represents the sink pad.
• entity — part of a union. Used only if the second object (gobj1) is an entity.
• reverse — pointer to the link for the reverse direction of a pad to pad link. the link's other-direction bestie 🦋
• flags — link flags, as defined in uapi/media.h (MEDIA_LNK_FL_*).
• is_backlink — indicate if the link is a backlink. yes, it tells you if it's a backlink 👑

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./include/media/media-entity.h — and honestly the whole friend group is here, no cap:

• enum media_gobj_type(9), struct media_gobj(9), struct media_entity_enum(9), struct media_graph(9), struct media_pipeline(9), struct media_pipeline_pad(9), struct media_pipeline_pad_iter(9), struct media_pipeline_entity_iter(9), enum media_pad_signal_type(9), struct media_pad(9), struct media_entity_operations(9), enum media_entity_type(9), struct media_entity(9), media_entity_for_each_pad(9), struct media_interface(9), struct media_intf_devnode(9)
• media_entity_id(9), media_type(9), media_id(9), media_gobj_gen_id(9), is_media_entity_v4l2_video_device(9), is_media_entity_v4l2_subdev(9), media_entity_enum_init(9), media_entity_enum_cleanup(9), media_entity_enum_zero(9), media_entity_enum_set(9), media_entity_enum_clear(9), media_entity_enum_test(9), media_entity_enum_test_and_set(9), media_entity_enum_empty(9), media_entity_enum_intersects(9)
• gobj_to_entity(9), gobj_to_pad(9), gobj_to_link(9), gobj_to_intf(9), intf_to_devnode(9), media_gobj_create(9), media_gobj_destroy(9), media_entity_pads_init(9), media_entity_cleanup(9), media_get_pad_index(9), media_create_pad_link(9), media_create_pad_links(9), media_entity_remove_links(9), __media_entity_setup_link(9), media_entity_setup_link(9), media_entity_find_link(9)
• media_pad_remote_pad_first(9), media_pad_remote_pad_unique(9), media_entity_remote_pad_unique(9), media_entity_remote_source_pad_unique(9), media_pad_is_streaming(9), media_entity_is_streaming(9), media_entity_pipeline(9), media_pad_pipeline(9), media_entity_get_fwnode_pad(9), media_graph_walk_init(9), media_graph_walk_cleanup(9), media_graph_walk_start(9), media_graph_walk_next(9), media_pipeline_start(9), __media_pipeline_start(9), media_pipeline_stop(9)
• __media_pipeline_stop(9), media_pipeline_for_each_pad(9), media_pipeline_entity_iter_init(9), media_pipeline_entity_iter_cleanup(9), media_pipeline_for_each_entity(9), media_pipeline_alloc_start(9), media_devnode_create(9), media_devnode_remove(9), media_create_intf_link(9), __media_remove_intf_link(9), media_remove_intf_link(9), __media_remove_intf_links(9), media_remove_intf_links(9), media_entity_call(9), media_create_ancillary_link(9), __media_entity_next_link(9), for_each_media_entity_data_link(9)

this cutie came from ./include/media, dated October 2026, and it's literally struct media_link(9) saying byeee 🎀💖✨