rtl_enable_ltr() programs the MAC to generate LTR messages - ALDPS_LTR_EN, LTR_SNOOP_EN, LTR_OBFF_LOCK_EN, plus LINK_SPEED_CHANGE_EN on RTL8125/RTL8126/RTL8127 - and rtl_hw_aspm_clkreq_enable() calls it on every ASPM enable, then goes on to let the chip trigger L1.2. The only gate is tp->aspm_manageable, which records that the OS is allowed to control ASPM. It says nothing about LTR. LTR is a separate PCIe capability that only works if every device on the path to the root port supports it. The PCI core works that out in pci_configure_ltr() and records the result in pci_dev->ltr_path; per PCIe r6.0 sec 7.5.3.16 a function must not issue LTR messages while LTR Mechanism Enable is clear. So on a platform whose hierarchy has no LTR path, the driver tells the chip to start sending LTR messages nothing will honour, and ties ALDPS - the PHY's link-down power saving - to them. A report against RTL8125B (rev 05, firmware rtl8125b-2_0.0.2) in a mini PC shows the effect: 291 link down/up transitions in one eight-hour boot, with repeated downshifts to 100Mbps, against four transitions at boot and then a stable link on the kernel before the LTR change. Gate the chip's LTR programming on pci_dev->ltr_path. That field exists only when CONFIG_PCIEASPM is enabled, so the test needs a preprocessor guard rather than IS_ENABLED(). With CONFIG_PCIEASPM=n the PCI core's pci_configure_ltr() is a stub and LTR is enabled nowhere, so the chip must not issue LTR messages in that configuration either. Note this does change CONFIG_PCIEASPM=n builds, which used to program chip LTR unconditionally: pci_disable_link_state() is a stub that returns success there, so tp->aspm_manageable ends up set. Fixes: 9ab94a32af70 ("r8169: enable LTR support") Closes: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2529752 Assisted-by: LLM Signed-off-by: Yogesh Gaur --- v3: - Drop the #ifdef/#else pair of rtl_enable_ltr() definitions and keep a single function with the guard inline, so there is no stub function. Suggested by Heiner Kallweit. - IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_PCIEASPM) cannot replace the #ifdef here: ltr_path is declared inside #ifdef CONFIG_PCIEASPM in include/linux/pci.h, so the member reference still has to compile in a CONFIG_PCIEASPM=n build: error: 'struct pci_dev' has no member named 'ltr_path' (x86_64 defconfig + EXPERT=y + PCIEASPM=n + R8169=m). Happy to send a PCI patch first that either moves the field out of the #ifdef or adds a pcie_ltr_path() accessor, and then drop the #ifdef from here - please say if you would prefer that, it is a different tree. - Added testing disclosure below. v2: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260910130140.910-1-yogeshgaur.83@gmail.com/ v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260909110554.1977-1-yogeshgaur.83@gmail.com/ NOT VERIFIED ON HARDWARE. I have no RTL8125 here. The causal claim above is reasoned from the register writes. Compile-tested only: drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.o, x86_64 defconfig + R8169=m, built W=1 clean with both CONFIG_PCIEASPM=y and CONFIG_PCIEASPM=n. drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c | 12 ++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+) diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c index ec4fc21fa21f..c305a8f19551 100644 --- a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c +++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c @@ -3037,6 +3037,18 @@ static void rtl_disable_exit_l1(struct rtl8169_private *tp) static void rtl_enable_ltr(struct rtl8169_private *tp) { + /* The chip must not issue LTR messages unless LTR is enabled for the + * whole path up to the root port. pci_configure_ltr() works that out + * and records the result in pci_dev->ltr_path, which exists only with + * CONFIG_PCIEASPM; without it the PCI core never enables LTR anywhere. + */ +#ifdef CONFIG_PCIEASPM + if (!tp->pci_dev->ltr_path) + return; +#else + return; +#endif + switch (tp->mac_version) { case RTL_GIGA_MAC_VER_80: r8168_mac_ocp_write(tp, 0xcdd0, 0x9003); -- 2.55.0.windows.5