netdev - what exactly does "volatile" mean WRT net_device

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Message-ID: <20180824063843.Horde.fxBcP_jn9J02RcPOOTrX35w@crashcourse.ca>
Date:   Fri, 24 Aug 2018 06:38:43 -0400
From:   rpjday@...shcourse.ca
To:     netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: what exactly does "volatile" mean WRT net_device_flags?

   i'm still unclear what the qualifier "volatile" means when used
WRT net_device_flags. the explanation given in include/uapi/linux/if.h:

"Flags which can be toggled through sysfs are annotated below, note
that only a few flags can be toggled and some other flags are always
preserved from the original net_device flags even if you try to set
them via sysfs. Flags which are always preserved are kept under the
flag grouping @IFF_VOLATILE. Flags which are volatile are annotated
below as such."

   as i read it, volatile simply means not modifibale from sysfs. is it
that simple?

rday