[PATCH net v5] net: macb: rate limit netdev error info print in the data path

From: Zijin Tao

Date: Sat Oct 10 2026 - 05:23:04 EST


Now the MACB ethernet driver print the netdev error information
directly by netdev_err(), which would lead to a large number of
error information print if there was a significant number of
error or just jumbo packets exceeding the MTU received when booting.
For example, it would print a large number of:

macb PHYT0036:00 eth0: not whole frame pointed by descriptor
macb PHYT0036:00 eth0: not whole frame pointed by descriptor
...

in gem_rx() by received a large number of packets without
RX_EOF flag set, especially with unknown packet
type that would penetrate the hardware offload for the IP packets.

The unlimited prints here would greatly bother and delay
the system booting process unless the source stop sending
packets since they occupy the console output bandwidth and
other processes have to wait for the completion of printing those
messages.

So rate limit the netdev error information print in the receive
and transmit data path.

Fixes: 4df95131ea80 ("net/macb: change RX path for GEM")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Zijin Tao <taozj888@xxxxxxx>
---

Changes since v1:

v5:

- Update the commit message for the target fix id to 4df95131ea80
which was indicated by Theo <theo.lebrun@xxxxxxxxxxx> and Nicolai
<nb@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Update the user name in the "From" part to Zijin Tao which is
the same as that of "Signed-off-by"

v4:

- Update the commit message for the target fix id to 89e5785fc8a6
as suggested by Nicolai Buchwitz<nb@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Update the patch with the changelog added in the patch itself

v3:

- add this change log since v2 missing it
- drop the blank line between the assignment sentence and the commit
info

v2:

- update the commit message with the reason why the unlimit prints would
bother/delay booting process
- update the commit message with the Fix commit id provided which is
suggested by Théo Lebrun<theo.lebrun@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- update the commit message with what packet type would trigger the
error printings more easily.

v1:

- initial commit

drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c | 17 ++++++++++-------
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
index b8234ac4b602..c32d48d03008 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
@@ -1617,16 +1617,16 @@ static int gem_rx(struct macb_queue *queue, struct napi_struct *napi,
count++;

if (!(ctrl & MACB_BIT(RX_SOF) && ctrl & MACB_BIT(RX_EOF))) {
- netdev_err(bp->netdev,
- "not whole frame pointed by descriptor\n");
+ if (net_ratelimit())
+ netdev_err(bp->netdev, "not whole frame pointed by descriptor\n");
bp->netdev->stats.rx_dropped++;
queue->stats.rx_dropped++;
break;
}
skb = queue->rx_skbuff[entry];
if (unlikely(!skb)) {
- netdev_err(bp->netdev,
- "inconsistent Rx descriptor chain\n");
+ if (net_ratelimit())
+ netdev_err(bp->netdev, "inconsistent Rx descriptor chain\n");
bp->netdev->stats.rx_dropped++;
queue->stats.rx_dropped++;
break;
@@ -1829,7 +1829,8 @@ static int macb_rx(struct macb_queue *queue, struct napi_struct *napi,
unsigned long flags;
u32 ctrl;

- netdev_err(bp->netdev, "RX queue corruption: reset it\n");
+ if (net_ratelimit())
+ netdev_err(bp->netdev, "RX queue corruption: reset it\n");

spin_lock_irqsave(&bp->lock, flags);

@@ -2102,7 +2103,8 @@ static int macb_interrupt_misc(struct macb_queue *queue, u32 status)

if (status & MACB_BIT(HRESP)) {
queue_work(system_bh_wq, &bp->hresp_err_bh_work);
- netdev_err(netdev, "DMA bus error: HRESP not OK\n");
+ if (net_ratelimit())
+ netdev_err(netdev, "DMA bus error: HRESP not OK\n");
macb_queue_isr_clear(bp, queue, MACB_BIT(HRESP));
}

@@ -2511,7 +2513,8 @@ static netdev_tx_t macb_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
else
hdrlen = skb_tcp_all_headers(skb);
if (skb_headlen(skb) < hdrlen) {
- netdev_err(bp->netdev, "Error - LSO headers fragmented!!!\n");
+ if (net_ratelimit())
+ netdev_err(bp->netdev, "Error - LSO headers fragmented!!!\n");
/* if this is required, would need to copy to single buffer */
return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
}
--
2.34.1