SOCKET(2)SOCKET(2)NAMEsocket - create an endpoint for communication
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
s = socket(domain, type, protocol)
int s, domain, type, protocol;
DESCRIPTION
Socket creates an endpoint for communication and returns a descriptor.
The domain parameter specifies a communications domain within which
communication will take place; this selects the protocol family which
should be used. The protocol family generally is the same as the
address family for the addresses supplied in later operations on the
socket. These families are defined in the include file <sys/socket.h>.
The currently understood formats are
PF_UNIX (UNIX internal protocols),
PF_INET (ARPA Internet protocols),
PF_NS (Xerox Network Systems protocols), and
PF_IMPLINK (IMP “host at IMP” link layer).
The socket has the indicated type, which specifies the semantics of
communication. Currently defined types are:
SOCK_STREAM
SOCK_DGRAM
SOCK_RAW
SOCK_SEQPACKET
SOCK_RDM
A SOCK_STREAM type provides sequenced, reliable, two-way connection
based byte streams. An out-of-band data transmission mechanism may be
supported. A SOCK_DGRAM socket supports datagrams (connectionless,
unreliable messages of a fixed (typically small) maximum length). A
SOCK_SEQPACKET socket may provide a sequenced, reliable, two-way
connection-based data transmission path for datagrams of fixed maximum
length; a consumer may be required to read an entire packet with each
read system call. This facility is protocol specific, and presently
implemented only for PF_NS. SOCK_RAW sockets provide access to
internal network protocols and interfaces. The types SOCK_RAW, which
is available only to the super-user, and SOCK_RDM, which is planned,
but not yet implemented, are not described here.
The protocol specifies a particular protocol to be used with the
socket. Normally only a single protocol exists to support a particular
socket type within a given protocol family. However, it is possible
that many protocols may exist, in which case a particular protocol must
be specified in this manner. The protocol number to use is particular
to the “communication domain” in which communication is to take place;
see protocols(3N).
Sockets of type SOCK_STREAM are full-duplex byte streams, similar to
pipes. A stream socket must be in a connected state before any data
may be sent or received on it. A connection to another socket is
created with a connect(2) call. Once connected, data may be
transferred using read(2) and write(2) calls or some variant of the
send(2) and recv(2) calls. When a session has been completed a
close(2) may be performed. Out-of-band data may also be transmitted as
described in send(2) and received as described in recv(2).
The communications protocols used to implement a SOCK_STREAM insure
that data is not lost or duplicated. If a piece of data for which the
peer protocol has buffer space cannot be successfully transmitted
within a reasonable length of time, then the connection is considered
broken and calls will indicate an error with -1 returns and with
ETIMEDOUT as the specific code in the global variable errno. The
protocols optionally keep sockets “warm” by forcing transmissions
roughly every minute in the absence of other activity. An error is
then indicated if no response can be elicited on an otherwise idle
connection for a extended period (e.g. 5 minutes). A SIGPIPE signal is
raised if a process sends on a broken stream; this causes naive
processes, which do not handle the signal, to exit.
SOCK_SEQPACKET sockets employ the same system calls as SOCK_STREAM
sockets. The only difference is that read(2) calls will return only
the amount of data requested, and any remaining in the arriving packet
will be discarded.
SOCK_DGRAM and SOCK_RAW sockets allow sending of datagrams to
correspondents named in send(2) calls. Datagrams are generally
received with recvfrom(2), which returns the next datagram with its
return address.
An fcntl(2) call can be used to specify a process group to receive a
SIGURG signal when the out-of-band data arrives. It may also enable
non-blocking I/O and asynchronous notification of I/O events via SIGIO.
The operation of sockets is controlled by socket level options. These
options are defined in the file <sys/socket.h>. Setsockopt(2) and
getsockopt(2) are used to set and get options, respectively.
RETURN VALUE
A -1 is returned if an error occurs, otherwise the return value is a
descriptor referencing the socket.
ERRORS
The socket call fails if:
[EPROTONOSUPPORT] The protocol type or the specified protocol is not
supported within this domain.
[EMFILE] The per-process descriptor table is full.
[ENFILE] The system file table is full.
[EACCESS] Permission to create a socket of the specified type
and/or protocol is denied.
[ENOBUFS] Insufficient buffer space is available. The socket
cannot be created until sufficient resources are
freed.
SEE ALSOaccept(2), bind(2), connect(2), getsockname(2), getsockopt(2),
ioctl(2), listen(2), read(2), recv(2), select(2), send(2), shutdown(2),
socketpair(2), write(2)
``An Introductory 4.3BSD Interprocess Communication Tutorial.''
(reprinted in UNIX Programmer's Supplementary Documents Volume 1,
PS1:7) ``An Advanced 4.3BSD Interprocess Communication Tutorial.''
(reprinted in UNIX Programmer's Supplementary Documents Volume 1,
PS1:8)
4.2 Berkeley Distribution May 23, 1986 SOCKET(2)