A Unix ___domain socket (UDS) or IPC socket (inter-procedure call socket) is a virtual socket, similar to an internet socket that is used in POSIX operating systems for inter-process communication. The correct standard POSIX term is POSIX Local IPC Sockets.
These connections appear as a byte stream network connection but go from the local computer to itself.
In addition to sending data, processes can send file descriptors across a Unix ___domain socket connection using the sendmsg() and recvmsg() system calls.
External links
- : create a pair of connected sockets – System Interfaces Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 5 from The Open Group
- : send a message on a socket – System Interfaces Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 5 from The Open Group
- : receive a message from a socket – System Interfaces Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 5 from The Open Group
- : socket ancillary data, including sending/receiving file descriptors – System Interfaces Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 5 from The Open Group
- ucspi-unix, UNIX-___domain socket client-server command-line tools
- unix ___domain sockets