UNION MACADDR(9)

💅 union macaddr(9) — the Kernel API Manual page your bestie actually wants to read

okay so. welcome to the Kernel API Manual, section 9, and today's main character is union macaddr — literally just a generic MAC address container. that's it. that's the whole vibe. it holds a MAC address, it's a union, and it's about to slay in the most low-key way possible. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

union macaddr — a generic MAC address container 🫶

like, not specific to any one thing. generic. it contains. it holds. iconic behaviour honestly.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

union macaddr {
    u16 short_address;
    u8 ieee_address[8];
 };

look at her. two members. one union. the way that she can be either a short address or an extended address and you just have to pick — that's the whole point, bestie 💖

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🦋 Members 🦋

• short_address — the 16-bit short address. small. compact. doing the most with the least ✨
• ieee_address — the 64-bit extended address, stored as a LE byte array. little-endian, byte by byte, no cap. when you need the big one, this is her 👑

fr fr remember: it's a union, so these two share the same space. it's giving "one closet, two outfits." don't expect to have both at the same time, iykyk 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

okay this is the part where the page just absolutely dumps the entire ca8210 cinematic universe on you and honestly? respect. grab a snack 🍓 — everything lives in the kernel file ./drivers/net/ieee802154/ca8210.c:

• struct cas_control(9)
• struct ca8210_test(9)
• struct ca8210_priv(9)
• struct work_priv_container(9)
• struct ca8210_platform_data(9)
• struct fulladdr(9)
• struct secspec(9)
• link_to_linux_err(9)
• ca8210_test_int_driver_write(9)
• ca8210_reset_send(9)
• ca8210_mlme_reset_worker(9)
• ca8210_rx_done(9)
• ca8210_spi_transfer_complete(9)
• ca8210_spi_transfer(9)
• ca8210_spi_exchange(9)
• ca8210_interrupt_handler(9)
• tdme_setsfr_request_sync(9)
• tdme_chipinit(9)
• tdme_channelinit(9)
• tdme_checkpibattribute(9)
• tdme_settxpower(9)
• mcps_data_request(9)
• mlme_reset_request_sync(9)
• mlme_set_request_sync(9)
• hwme_set_request_sync(9)
• hwme_get_request_sync(9)
• ca8210_async_xmit_complete(9)
• ca8210_skb_rx(9)
• ca8210_net_rx(9)
• ca8210_skb_tx(9)
• ca8210_start(9)
• ca8210_stop(9)
• ca8210_xmit_async(9)
• ca8210_get_ed(9)
• ca8210_set_channel(9)
• ca8210_set_hw_addr_filt(9)
• ca8210_set_tx_power(9)
• ca8210_set_cca_mode(9)
• ca8210_set_cca_ed_level(9)
• ca8210_set_csma_params(9)
• ca8210_set_frame_retries(9)
• ca8210_test_int_open(9)
• ca8210_test_check_upstream(9)
• ca8210_test_int_user_write(9)
• ca8210_test_int_user_read(9)
• ca8210_test_int_ioctl(9)
• ca8210_test_int_poll(9)
• ca8210_get_platform_data(9)
• ca8210_config_extern_clk(9)
• ca8210_register_ext_clock(9)
• ca8210_unregister_ext_clock(9)
• ca8210_reset_init(9)
• ca8210_interrupt_init(9)
• ca8210_dev_com_init(9)
• ca8210_dev_com_clear(9)
• ca8210_hw_setup(9)
• ca8210_test_interface_init(9)
• ca8210_test_interface_clear(9)
• ca8210_remove(9)
• ca8210_probe(9)

that's the whole friend group. every single one of them. go say hi 👋💜

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so yeah — that's union macaddr, a tiny little union holding either a 16-bit short address or a 64-bit extended address as a LE byte array, living its best life in ./drivers/net/ieee802154. short page, huge main character energy. periodt. 💅

okay bye bestie, this one's out of ./drivers/net/ieee802154 and stamped October 2026 — mwah, drink water, and remember: it's a union, not a struct 🌸✨🫶