pcap_datalink − get the link-layer header type
#include <pcap/pcap.h>
int pcap_datalink(pcap_t *p);
pcap_datalink() returns the link-layer header type for the live capture or ‘‘savefile’’ specified by p.
It must not be called on a pcap descriptor created by pcap_create(3PCAP) that has not yet been activated by pcap_activate(3PCAP).
https://www.tcpdump.org/linktypes.html lists the values pcap_datalink() can return and describes the packet formats that correspond to those values.
Do NOT assume that the packets for a given capture or ‘‘savefile‘‘ will have any given link-layer header type, such as DLT_EN10MB for Ethernet. For example, the "any" device on Linux will have a link-layer header type of DLT_LINUX_SLL or DLT_LINUX_SLL2 even if all devices on the system at the time the "any" device is opened have some other data link type, such as DLT_EN10MB for Ethernet.
pcap_datalink() returns the link-layer header type on success and PCAP_ERROR_NOT_ACTIVATED if called on a capture handle that has been created but not activated.
pcap(3PCAP), pcap-linktype(7)