{{shortShort description|Communications endpoint for exchanging data between processes executing in the same operating system}}
A '''Unix ___domain socket''' ('''UDS'''), a.k.a. '''local socket''', a.k.a.or '''[[inter-process communication]]''' ('''IPC''') '''socket''', is a [[communication endpoint]] for [[inter-process communication|exchanging data between processes]] executing in the same [[Unix]] or [[Unix-like]] operating system.
The name, ''Unix ___domain socket'', refers to the <code>___domain</code> argument value <code>AF_UNIX</code> that is passed to the function that creates a socket [[system resource]]. The same communication ___domain is also selected by <code>AF_LOCAL</code>. <ref name="man-unix-sockets"></ref>
Valid <code>type</code> argument values for a UDS are:<ref name="man-unix-sockets">{{cite web
