Wangxun WX1860 Gigabit Ethernet virtual functions
SR-IOV virtual function support for Wangxun's WX1860 and WX1860AL gigabit Ethernet controllers, the silicon behind current LR-Link and similar server NICs from this Chinese vendor. The virtual functions let a single physical adapter be sliced up and handed to multiple virtual machines.
recommendation
It should stay because this is a brand-new addition, merged into Linux 6.17 in mid-2025, for hardware Wangxun and partners like LR-Link are actively selling today. Upstream traffic shows ongoing maintenance work rather than any removal discussion, and DPDK support indicates real ecosystem interest, even if the overall install base is still small and vendor-specific.</recommendation_summary> </invoke>
repository signals
sources
- spinics.net
netdev patch series from June 2025 adds the Wangxun VF drivers, including ngbevf, showing fresh upstream introduction rather than legacy abandonment.
- spinics.net
follow-up net-next patch series in July 2025 touches ngbevf through shared Wangxun ethtool/coalescing work, indicating ongoing upstream development and no visible removal push.
- cateee.net
LKDDb shows CONFIG_NGBEVF present from Linux 6.17 onward and documents support for WX1860/WX1860AL virtual functions.
- lr-link.com
commercial adapter page shows WX1860A2-based hardware marketed as a current product, supporting that the underlying PF hardware family was still being sold new in 2025.
- core.dpdk.org
DPDK lists Wangxun ngbe (WX1860 family) as supported, suggesting continuing ecosystem relevance for deployments using this hardware family.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local shell inspection showed this directory is a real PCI net driver with recent commits only from 2025 and no age-based obsolescence signal. URLs were obtained via web search: spinics results showed the initial add-vf series and later maintenance traffic; LKDDb confirmed mainline presence starting in 6.17; LR-LINK product page provided 2025-era sale evidence for WX1860-based adapters; DPDK support page suggests ongoing niche use. No removal discussion was found in the retrieved upstream traffic. This is a new SR-IOV VF driver for a still-marketed but niche hardware family, so keep rather than deprecate; deployments are likely low because it is vendor-specific VF infrastructure rather than broad commodity NIC hardware.