STRUCT PHYLINK_LINK_STATE(9)

💅 NAME 💅

struct phylink_link_state — bestie, this is the link state structure. it holds literally everything you need to know about what a link is doing rn. iconic behavior honestly.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

okay so here's the whole struct, laid out exactly as it lives, no cap:

struct phylink_link_state {
    unsigned long advertising[BITS_TO_LONGS(
__ETHTOOL_LINK_MODE_MASK_NBITS)];
    unsigned long lp_advertising[BITS_TO_LONGS(
__ETHTOOL_LINK_MODE_MASK_NBITS)];
    phy_interface_t interface;
    int speed;
    int duplex;
    int pause;
    int rate_matching;
    unsigned int link:1;
    unsigned int an_complete:1;
 };

like, look at her. two big bitmasks, a bunch of ints, and two lil one-bit flags at the end. main character energy tbh 🫶

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🎀 Members 🎀

these are the fields, one by one, so you don't have to guess 🙈

• advertising — an ethtool bitmask holding the advertised link modes. basically the "here's what i bring to the table" list 💅
• lp_advertising — another ethtool bitmask, but this one's holding the link partner advertised link modes. your partner's vibe check, if you will 🦋
• interface — the link typedef phy_interface_t mode. yes it's a typedef, yes it's fancy.
• speed — the link speed, and it's one of the SPEED_* constants. pick one, bestie, there are options.
• duplex — the link duplex mode, one of the DUPLEX_* constants.
• pause — the link pause state, described by the MLO_PAUSE_* constants.
• rate_matching — the rate matching being performed, one of the RATE_MATCH_* constants. and listen, this one's got lore 📖: if rate matching is taking place, then the speed/duplex of the medium link mode (speed and duplex) and the speed/duplex of the phy interface mode (interface) are different. like they do NOT match. that's the whole point. periodt.
• link — true if the link is up. that's it. 1 bit, huge responsibility 💀
• an_complete — true if autonegotiation has completed. congrats to autoneg on finishing the negotiation 🎉

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⚠️ quick reminder bestie: link and an_complete are unsigned int bitfields of width 1. don't be out here cramming a whole mood into one bit, that's just how it is.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

living in the kernel file ./include/linux/phylink.h — go read it, iykyk — alongside this whole friend group:

• struct phylink_config(9)
• struct phylink_mac_ops(9)
• mac_get_caps(9)
• mac_select_pcs(9)
• mac_prepare(9)
• mac_config(9)
• mac_finish(9)
• mac_link_down(9)
• mac_link_up(9)
• mac_disable_tx_lpi(9)
• mac_enable_tx_lpi(9)
• mac_wol_set(9)
• struct phylink_pcs(9)
• struct phylink_pcs_ops(9)
• pcs_validate(9)
• pcs_inband_caps(9)
• pcs_enable(9)
• pcs_disable(9)
• pcs_get_state(9)
• pcs_config(9)
• pcs_an_restart(9)
• pcs_link_up(9)
• pcs_disable_eee(9)
• pcs_enable_eee(9)
• pcs_pre_init(9)
• phylink_get_link_timer_ns(9)
• phylink_mac_implements_lpi(9)

that's the whole squad, literally every one of them 💜

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🌸 ok that's the page, bestie!! sourced from ./include/linux, dated October 2026 — go slay your link states, mwah 💋✨