v4l2_phys_addr_validate(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 v4l2_phys_addr_validate — the vibe check for EDID physical addresses ✨

okay so bestie, this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally all about v4l2_phys_addr_validate(9). yes the function name is a mouthful, no we're not changing it. sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, and let's get into it.

🌸 NAME 🌸

v4l2_phys_addr_validate — validate a physical address from an EDID

like, it checks that the PA is actually valid. that's the whole job. main character energy honestly 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int v4l2_phys_addr_validate (u16 phys_addr , u16 *parent , u16 *port );

three args, one int back. iconic. 🎀

💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

  • phys_addr — the physical address you want to validate. the star of the show.
  • parent — if it's not NULL, then this gets filled with the parent's PA. (yes, PA = physical address, keep up bestie 🫶)
  • port — if it's not NULL, then this gets filled with the input port. same deal.
ngl if you pass NULL for parent or port that's totally fine — they just get skipped. no cap.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so what this does is it validates a physical address as read from an EDID. and here's the tea ☕: if the PA is invalid — like, say, 1.0.1.0, because '0' is only allowed at the end — then it's gonna return -EINVAL. periodt. 💀

the parent PA gets passed into parent, and the input port gets passed into port. for example, and honestly these examples ate:

  • PA = 0.0.0.0: has parent 0.0.0.0 and input port 0.
  • PA = 1.0.0.0: has parent 0.0.0.0 and input port 1.
  • PA = 3.2.0.0: has parent 3.0.0.0 and input port 2.
  • PA = f.f.f.f: has parent f.f.f.f and input port 0.

look at that consistency. we love to see it. 🌈

🔥 RETURN 🔥

  • 0 if the PA is valid 😌
  • -EINVAL if not 🙈

that's it. two outcomes. lowkey refreshing.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

the kernel file lives right here, fr fr:

./drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-dv-timings.c

and these besties are all in the same friend group:

🧚 sign-off 🧚

this little beauty comes to you from ./drivers/media/v4l2-core, dated October 2026, and it's the v4l2_phys_addr_validate(9) page from the Kernel API Manual. go validate something. slay. 💜🌸

ok that's the whole page, you're welcome, iykyk ✨🫶
📦 where this page comes from