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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+=====================================
+Network Devices, the Kernel, and You!
+=====================================
+
+
+Introduction
+============
+The following is a random collection of documentation regarding
+network devices.
+
+struct net_device lifetime rules
+================================
+Network device structures need to persist even after module is unloaded and
+must be allocated with alloc_netdev_mqs() and friends.
+If device has registered successfully, it will be freed on last use
+by free_netdev(). This is required to handle the pathological case cleanly
+(example: ``rmmod mydriver </sys/class/net/myeth/mtu``)
+
+alloc_netdev_mqs() / alloc_netdev() reserve extra space for driver
+private data which gets freed when the network device is freed. If
+separately allocated data is attached to the network device
+(netdev_priv()) then it is up to the module exit handler to free that.
+
+There are two groups of APIs for registering struct net_device.
+First group can be used in normal contexts where ``rtnl_lock`` is not already
+held: register_netdev(), unregister_netdev().
+Second group can be used when ``rtnl_lock`` is already held:
+register_netdevice(), unregister_netdevice(), free_netdevice().
+
+Simple drivers
+--------------
+
+Most drivers (especially device drivers) handle lifetime of struct net_device
+in context where ``rtnl_lock`` is not held (e.g. driver probe and remove paths).
+
+In that case the struct net_device registration is done using
+the register_netdev(), and unregister_netdev() functions:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+  int probe()
+  {
+    struct my_device_priv *priv;
+    int err;
+
+    dev = alloc_netdev_mqs(...);
+    if (!dev)
+      return -ENOMEM;
+    priv = netdev_priv(dev);
+
+    /* ... do all device setup before calling register_netdev() ...
+     */
+
+    err = register_netdev(dev);
+    if (err)
+      goto err_undo;
+
+    /* net_device is visible to the user! */
+
+  err_undo:
+    /* ... undo the device setup ... */
+    free_netdev(dev);
+    return err;
+  }
+
+  void remove()
+  {
+    unregister_netdev(dev);
+    free_netdev(dev);
+  }
+
+Note that after calling register_netdev() the device is visible in the system.
+Users can open it and start sending / receiving traffic immediately,
+or run any other callback, so all initialization must be done prior to
+registration.
+
+unregister_netdev() closes the device and waits for all users to be done
+with it. The memory of struct net_device itself may still be referenced
+by sysfs but all operations on that device will fail.
+
+free_netdev() can be called after unregister_netdev() returns on when
+register_netdev() failed.
+
+Device management under RTNL
+----------------------------
+
+Registering struct net_device while in context which already holds
+the ``rtnl_lock`` requires extra care. In those scenarios most drivers
+will want to make use of struct net_device's ``needs_free_netdev``
+and ``priv_destructor`` members for freeing of state.
+
+Example flow of netdev handling under ``rtnl_lock``:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+  static void my_setup(struct net_device *dev)
+  {
+    dev->needs_free_netdev = true;
+  }
+
+  static void my_destructor(struct net_device *dev)
+  {
+    some_obj_destroy(priv->obj);
+    some_uninit(priv);
+  }
+
+  int create_link()
+  {
+    struct my_device_priv *priv;
+    int err;
+
+    ASSERT_RTNL();
+
+    dev = alloc_netdev(sizeof(*priv), "net%d", NET_NAME_UNKNOWN, my_setup);
+    if (!dev)
+      return -ENOMEM;
+    priv = netdev_priv(dev);
+
+    /* Implicit constructor */
+    err = some_init(priv);
+    if (err)
+      goto err_free_dev;
+
+    priv->obj = some_obj_create();
+    if (!priv->obj) {
+      err = -ENOMEM;
+      goto err_some_uninit;
+    }
+    /* End of constructor, set the destructor: */
+    dev->priv_destructor = my_destructor;
+
+    err = register_netdevice(dev);
+    if (err)
+      /* register_netdevice() calls destructor on failure */
+      goto err_free_dev;
+
+    /* If anything fails now unregister_netdevice() (or unregister_netdev())
+     * will take care of calling my_destructor and free_netdev().
+     */
+
+    return 0;
+
+  err_some_uninit:
+    some_uninit(priv);
+  err_free_dev:
+    free_netdev(dev);
+    return err;
+  }
+
+If struct net_device.priv_destructor is set it will be called by the core
+some time after unregister_netdevice(), it will also be called if
+register_netdevice() fails. The callback may be invoked with or without
+``rtnl_lock`` held.
+
+There is no explicit constructor callback, driver "constructs" the private
+netdev state after allocating it and before registration.
+
+Setting struct net_device.needs_free_netdev makes core call free_netdevice()
+automatically after unregister_netdevice() when all references to the device
+are gone. It only takes effect after a successful call to register_netdevice()
+so if register_netdevice() fails driver is responsible for calling
+free_netdev().
+
+free_netdev() is safe to call on error paths right after unregister_netdevice()
+or when register_netdevice() fails. Parts of netdev (de)registration process
+happen after ``rtnl_lock`` is released, therefore in those cases free_netdev()
+will defer some of the processing until ``rtnl_lock`` is released.
+
+Devices spawned from struct rtnl_link_ops should never free the
+struct net_device directly.
+
+.ndo_init and .ndo_uninit
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+``.ndo_init`` and ``.ndo_uninit`` callbacks are called during net_device
+registration and de-registration, under ``rtnl_lock``. Drivers can use
+those e.g. when parts of their init process need to run under ``rtnl_lock``.
+
+``.ndo_init`` runs before device is visible in the system, ``.ndo_uninit``
+runs during de-registering after device is closed but other subsystems
+may still have outstanding references to the netdevice.
+
+MTU
+===
+Each network device has a Maximum Transfer Unit. The MTU does not
+include any link layer protocol overhead. Upper layer protocols must
+not pass a socket buffer (skb) to a device to transmit with more data
+than the mtu. The MTU does not include link layer header overhead, so
+for example on Ethernet if the standard MTU is 1500 bytes used, the
+actual skb will contain up to 1514 bytes because of the Ethernet
+header. Devices should allow for the 4 byte VLAN header as well.
+
+Segmentation Offload (GSO, TSO) is an exception to this rule.  The
+upper layer protocol may pass a large socket buffer to the device
+transmit routine, and the device will break that up into separate
+packets based on the current MTU.
+
+MTU is symmetrical and applies both to receive and transmit. A device
+must be able to receive at least the maximum size packet allowed by
+the MTU. A network device may use the MTU as mechanism to size receive
+buffers, but the device should allow packets with VLAN header. With
+standard Ethernet mtu of 1500 bytes, the device should allow up to
+1518 byte packets (1500 + 14 header + 4 tag).  The device may either:
+drop, truncate, or pass up oversize packets, but dropping oversize
+packets is preferred.
+
+
+struct net_device synchronization rules
+=======================================
+ndo_open:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+
+ndo_stop:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+	Note: netif_running() is guaranteed false
+
+ndo_do_ioctl:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+
+        This is only called by network subsystems internally,
+        not by user space calling ioctl as it was in before
+        linux-5.14.
+
+ndo_siocbond:
+        Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+        Context: process
+
+        Used by the bonding driver for the SIOCBOND family of
+        ioctl commands.
+
+ndo_siocwandev:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+
+	Used by the drivers/net/wan framework to handle
+	the SIOCWANDEV ioctl with the if_settings structure.
+
+ndo_siocdevprivate:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+
+	This is used to implement SIOCDEVPRIVATE ioctl helpers.
+	These should not be added to new drivers, so don't use.
+
+ndo_eth_ioctl:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
+	Context: process
+
+ndo_get_stats:
+	Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore, dev_base_lock rwlock, or RCU.
+	Context: atomic (can't sleep under rwlock or RCU)
+
+ndo_start_xmit:
+	Synchronization: __netif_tx_lock spinlock.
+
+	When the driver sets NETIF_F_LLTX in dev->features this will be
+	called without holding netif_tx_lock. In this case the driver
+	has to lock by itself when needed.
+	The locking there should also properly protect against
+	set_rx_mode. WARNING: use of NETIF_F_LLTX is deprecated.
+	Don't use it for new drivers.
+
+	Context: Process with BHs disabled or BH (timer),
+		 will be called with interrupts disabled by netconsole.
+
+	Return codes:
+
+	* NETDEV_TX_OK everything ok.
+	* NETDEV_TX_BUSY Cannot transmit packet, try later
+	  Usually a bug, means queue start/stop flow control is broken in
+	  the driver. Note: the driver must NOT put the skb in its DMA ring.
+
+ndo_tx_timeout:
+	Synchronization: netif_tx_lock spinlock; all TX queues frozen.
+	Context: BHs disabled
+	Notes: netif_queue_stopped() is guaranteed true
+
+ndo_set_rx_mode:
+	Synchronization: netif_addr_lock spinlock.
+	Context: BHs disabled
+
+struct napi_struct synchronization rules
+========================================
+napi->poll:
+	Synchronization:
+		NAPI_STATE_SCHED bit in napi->state.  Device
+		driver's ndo_stop method will invoke napi_disable() on
+		all NAPI instances which will do a sleeping poll on the
+		NAPI_STATE_SCHED napi->state bit, waiting for all pending
+		NAPI activity to cease.
+
+	Context:
+		 softirq
+		 will be called with interrupts disabled by netconsole.