wiphy_lock(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 wiphy_lock(9) — a Kernel API Manual moment

okay so bestie, welcome to wiphy_lock(9), the kernel API manual page you didn't know you needed until rn. this is part 1, so buckle up 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

wiphy_lock — lock the wiphy. that's it. that's the whole name. iconic brevity fr fr 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void wiphy_lock (struct wiphy *wiphy );

literally just one function, one argument, returns void — she gives nothing back, she just does 💅

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • wiphy — the wiphy you wanna lock. the one. the main character of this whole situation 👑

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea ☕ — you need this around registering and unregistering netdevs that aren't created through cfg80211 calls. why? because that requires locking in cfg80211 when the notifiers is called, but that cannot differentiate which way it's called. 😭 like it genuinely can't tell, so you gotta lock it yourself, no cap.

it can also be used by drivers for their own purposes. so like, not just for the netdev stuff — drivers can use it for whatever they need it for. versatile queen ✨

when cfg80211 ops are called, the wiphy is already locked. so don't go locking it again like a fool, it's handled 🙈

📌 note note note: this makes sure that no workers that have been queued with wiphy_queue_work are running. like, that's the whole point of the lock, bestie — no sneaky workers running while you're doing your thing 💀

more parts coming, don't go anywhere 🧚💜

🔗 SEE ALSO 🔗

okay bestie, this is the part where the man page just... lists everything. and i mean everything — the whole cfg80211 cinematic universe, no cap. but lowkey it's iconic, because you can tap any of these and keep the lore going. so here's the full roll call, no skipping, we're not leaving anyone out 💅✨

the origin story first:

  • Kernel file ./include/net/cfg80211.h
  • Introduction(9)
  • Device registration(9)

then the channel/rate/bss basics, the foundational vibes:

  • enum ieee80211_channel_flags(9)
  • struct ieee80211_channel(9)
  • enum ieee80211_rate_flags(9)
  • enum ieee80211_bss_type(9)
  • enum ieee80211_privacy(9)
  • struct ieee80211_rate(9)
  • struct ieee80211_he_obss_pd(9)
  • struct cfg80211_he_bss_color(9)

and the capability glow-ups — ht, vht, he, eht, uhr, all of it, we love a stacked résumé:

  • struct ieee80211_sta_ht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_vht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_he_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_eht_mcs_nss_supp(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_eht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_uhr_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sband_iftype_data(9)
  • enum ieee80211_edmg_bw_config(9)
  • struct ieee80211_edmg(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_s1g_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_supported_band(9)

the sband helper girlies, plus one very specific freq-limits function:

now we're entering the actions and configuration era, aka the "we're actually doing stuff" chapter:

  • Actions and configuration(9)
  • struct vif_params(9)
  • struct key_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_chan_def(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_cfg(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_fils_aad(9)
  • struct cfg80211_set_hw_timestamp(9)

the chandef besties — literally the "what channel are we on and is it valid" squad:

survey + crypto + beacon-ish setup, the "AP girlies assemble" block:

  • enum survey_info_flags(9)
  • struct survey_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_crypto_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_rnr_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_beacon_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_acl_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_fils_discovery(9)
  • struct cfg80211_unsol_bcast_probe_resp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_s1g_short_beacon(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_update(9)
  • struct cfg80211_csa_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_color_change_settings(9)
  • struct iface_combination_params(9)

station parameters and all their little friends, because stations need lore too:

  • enum station_parameters_apply_mask(9)
  • struct sta_txpwr(9)
  • struct link_station_parameters(9)
  • struct link_station_del_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ttlm_params(9)
  • struct station_parameters(9)
  • struct station_del_parameters(9)
  • enum cfg80211_station_type(9)
  • cfg80211_check_station_change(9)
  • enum rate_info_flags(9)
  • enum rate_info_bw(9)
  • struct rate_info(9)
  • enum bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct sta_bss_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_txq_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_stats(9)
  • struct link_station_info(9)
  • struct station_info(9)

SAR stuff, monitor/mpath flags, bss params, mesh/ocb setup, txq params — a whole little ecosystem:

  • struct cfg80211_sar_sub_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_freq_ranges(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_capa(9)
  • cfg80211_get_station(9)
  • enum monitor_flags(9)
  • enum mpath_info_flags(9)
  • struct mpath_info(9)
  • enum wiphy_bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct bss_parameters(9)
  • struct mesh_config(9)
  • struct mesh_setup(9)
  • struct ocb_setup(9)
  • struct ieee80211_txq_params(9)

scanning and BSS list handling — the "where is everything and what's in the air" section, obsessed:

  • Scanning and BSS list handling(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ssid(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_6ghz_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_match_set(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_plan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_select_adjust(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_request(9)
  • enum cfg80211_signal_type(9)
  • struct cfg80211_inform_bss(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_ies(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_elem(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_ie(9)

auth/assoc/connect/deauth — the whole relationship arc, fr fr:

  • struct cfg80211_auth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_link(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ml_reconf_req(9)
  • enum cfg80211_assoc_req_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_deauth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_disassoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ibss_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_selection(9)
  • struct cfg80211_connect_params(9)
  • enum cfg80211_connect_params_changed(9)
  • enum wiphy_params_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmksa(9)

wowlan, coalesce, and wakeup stuff — the "sleep is a flex" block:

  • struct cfg80211_pkt_pattern(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_tcp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce_rules(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_match(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_wakeup(9)
  • struct cfg80211_gtk_rekey_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_ft_ies_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mgmt_tx_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_exception(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_range(9)
  • struct cfg80211_qos_map(9)

Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) — literally the social network before social networks, we stan:

  • Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_band_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_channel(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_local_sched(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_map(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_sched(9)
  • enum cfg80211_nan_conf_changes(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func_filter(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func(9)

PMK, external auth, FTM responder stats, PMSR (positioning, we love a measurement era), OWE updates, mgmt frame regs:

  • struct cfg80211_pmk_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_external_auth_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ftm_responder_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_owe_info(9)
  • struct mgmt_frame_regs(9)

now the wiphy core — the main character herself, plus all her flags and support structs:

  • struct cfg80211_ops(9)
  • enum wiphy_flags(9)
  • struct ieee80211_iface_limit(9)
  • struct ieee80211_iface_combination(9)
  • enum wiphy_wowlan_support_flags(9)
  • struct wiphy_wowlan_support(9)
  • struct wiphy_coalesce_support(9)
  • enum wiphy_vendor_command_flags(9)
  • enum wiphy_opmode_flag(9)
  • struct sta_opmode_info(9)
  • struct wiphy_vendor_command(9)
  • struct wiphy_iftype_ext_capab(9)
  • cfg80211_get_iftype_ext_capa(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_capabilities(9)
  • struct wiphy_iftype_akm_suites(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio_cfg(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio_freq_range(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio(9)
  • enum wiphy_nan_flags(9)
  • struct wiphy_nan_capa(9)
  • struct wiphy(9)

the wiphy lifecycle girlies — priv, dev, name, new, register, deref, unregister, free, unlock:

wiphy work queue family — delayed work, hrtimer work, the whole scheduling friend group:

wireless dev + its little helpers, plus AP reg power:

utility functions — the "little helpers that always come in clutch" chapter:

data path helpers — converting, classifying, finding IEs, defragmenting, the works:

regulatory enforcement infrastructure — the "please don't break the law" girlies, highkey important:

internal regulatory db functions — yes, even the internals get a shoutout:

scan done / sched scan results / bss inform and merge — the "what did we hear" block:

MLME events and assorted notifications — auth timeout, assoc resp, failures, michael mic, ibss joined, new peer candidate:

RFkill integration — the "hardware switch says no" era:

Vendor commands — the "custom stuff, brand collab" section:

Test mode — the "we're just experimenting" chapter:

connect results, roam info, port auth, disconnect — the "did we make it or not" block:

remain-on-channel and tx mgmt expiry, station info alloc/release, new/del sta — the "station management" besties:

rx info and mgmt rx/tx status — the "frames in, frames out" crew:

CQM notifications and radar/CAC events — the "something happened, pay attention" squad:

rekey, PMKSA candidate, spurious frames, unexpected 4addr frames, probe status, OBSS beacon reports — the deep-lore notifications:

and finally, the last one in this part — the beaconing check config, she's the closer:

  • struct cfg80211_beaconing_check_config(9)

and yeah, the list literally keeps going in part 3, bestie, don't close the tab yet 🫶

Fr fr if you read all 64 of those you're lowkey a wireless legend, no cap 🏆 Thank her for coming, and remember: the lock is the moment, the unlock is the vibe check 💖

And that's a wrap on wiphy_lock(9), bestie 🎀 You made it to the end of the whole page, I'm so proud. This little masterpiece lives in ./include/net, it's the wiphy_lock(9) page, and it's dated October 2026 — so yes, it's from the future, and yes, it ate 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from