[Linux] C Shell (csh) mkfifo: Create named pipes

Overview

The mkfifo command in C Shell (csh) is used to create named pipes, also known as FIFOs (First In, First Out). Named pipes allow for inter-process communication, enabling different processes to communicate with each other by reading from and writing to the same pipe.

Usage

The basic syntax of the mkfifo command is as follows:

mkfifo [options] [arguments]

Common Options

• -m : Set the permissions for the FIFO. This option allows you to specify the mode (permissions) for the newly created FIFO.

Common Examples

Example 1: Create a simple named pipe

To create a named pipe called mypipe, you can use the following command:

mkfifo mypipe

Example 2: Create a named pipe with specific permissions

To create a named pipe called securepipe with read and write permissions for the owner only, use:

mkfifo -m 600 securepipe

Example 3: Using the named pipe in a command

You can use the named pipe to send and receive messages between processes. For example, in one terminal, you can write to the pipe:

echo "Hello, World!" > mypipe

And in another terminal, you can read from the pipe:

cat mypipe

Tips

• Always ensure that the named pipe is created in a directory where you have the necessary permissions.
• Remember that reading from a named pipe will block until there is data available to read, so make sure to have a reader process ready before writing to the pipe.
• Use named pipes for simple inter-process communication to avoid the complexity of sockets or other IPC mechanisms.