Mastering Ethernet Drivers on Linux

Dive deep into the intricacies of Ethernet Controller drivers for Linux in this comprehensive 52-minute conference talk by Maxime Chevallier from Bootlin. Explore the complex structure of these drivers, starting with the fundamental net_device and progressing through essential steps for basic driver functionality. Learn about initialization processes, queue setup, and DMA mappings before delving into advanced topics such as NAPI loop implementation, memory management using the page-pool API, and XDP integration. Discover Ethernet-specific components, including ethtool operations and phylink support for PHY interaction, as well as the unique aspects of embedded Ethernet Controllers. Gain insights into useful testing and debugging tools for driver development, optimization, and troubleshooting existing drivers.