STRUCT OVPN_SOCKET(9)

💅 struct ovpn_socket(9) — a kernel socket referenced in the ovpn code

okay bestie so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and honestly? it's giving "small struct, big responsibilities" energy. Sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, and let me walk you through it.

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✨ NAME ✨

struct ovpn_socket — a kernel socket referenced in the ovpn code 🫶

like literally that's it, that's the whole name section, we love a concise icon.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

here's the whole struct, verbatim, no cap — don't let me catch you retyping it by hand:

struct ovpn_socket {
    union {
      struct {
        struct ovpn_priv *ovpn;
        netdevice_tracker dev_tracker;
      };
      struct ovpn_peer *peer;
    };
    struct sock *sk;
    struct kref refcount;
    struct work_struct work;
    struct work_struct tcp_tx_work;
 };

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🎀 Members 🎀

okay so inside this struct there's a fake-deep nesting situation, and every field matters, so let's go one by one:

• {unnamed_union} — anonymous 👻 (yes, it really is unnamed, that's the whole vibe)
• {unnamed_struct} — also anonymous 👻 (matching set, iconic)
• ovpn — the ovpn instance that owns this socket. UDP only, bestie, don't come at it with TCP 🙈
• dev_tracker — reference tracker for the associated dev. also UDP only ✨
• peer — the unique peer transmitting over this socket. TCP only this time — the union said "pick a lane" 💅
• sk — the low level sock object, the actual little guy underneath it all
• refcount — how many contexts are currently referencing this object. that's its whole job, and it slays at it 👑
• work — member used to schedule the release routine. ⚠️ heads up: it may block — this is a real caveat, not a drill 😭
• tcp_tx_work — work for deferring outgoing packet processing. TCP only 💜

🦋 quick vibe check: the union means it's either the UDP crew (ovpn + dev_tracker) or the TCP crew (peer) — never both at once. iykyk.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Kernel file ./drivers/net/ovpn/socket.h — go read it, it's right there, be so fr

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and that's the page!! 🧚 no notes, 10/10, ate and left no crumbs. this lil manual entry came from ./drivers/net/ovpn, dated October 2026 — so yeah, it's from the future, main character energy only ⭐🌈👑