Question

Named Pipes

Asked by: FIsh

I am working with unnamed and named pipes.  I have already figured out the unnamed pipe, but have worked up a named pipe program, but it does not work.  Could someone please tell me if I am even close.

I need the code to be able to use a named pipe function to have the output of the "ps -ef" command sent through the pipe to the "grep cm415b"command.

so: nova> ps -ef | grep cm415b

/******************************************
 * Class: CMIS 415
 * Assignment: P3
 * Author: 
 *Date created: 02 Nov 2009
 *Date last modified:
 *Comments: Implement an example of pipe-based communication between two UNIX
 commands.  The commands will be hardcoded inside the program to avoid parsing the 
 command line.
 ********************************************/ 
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <sys/types.h> 
int main() {
	int fd;
	
	if (mkfifo("/tmp/fifo", cm415a)  == -1) {
		perror("error FIFO");
		exit(1);
	}
	switch(fork()) {
		case -1:
			perror("creating process");
			exit(1);
			
		case 0:
			close(1);
			fd = open("/tmp/fifo", O_WRONLY);
			if (fd == -1) {
				perror("Opening FIFO for writing");
				exit(1);
			}
			else if (fd != 1) {
				fprintf(stderr, "Write descriptor failed");
				exit(1);
			}
			execl("/usr/bin/grep", "grep", "cm415a", (char*) NULL);
			perror("Running grep command");
			exit(1);
			
		default:
			close(0);
			fd = open("tmp/fifo", O_RDONLY);
			if (fd == -1) {
				perror("Opening FIFO for reading");
				exit(1);
			}
			else if (fd != 0) {
				fprintf(stderr, "Write descriptor failed");
				exit(1);
			}
			execl("/bin/ps", "ps", "-ef", (char*) NULL);
			perror("Running ps command");
			exit(1);
	}
}
                                  
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Asked On
2009-11-02 at 17:55:12ID24865920
Tags

named pipes

,

grep

,

ps -ef

Topic

C Programming Language

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: KdoPosted on 2009-11-03 at 06:23:29ID: 25729178

Hi FIsh,

A couple of things to note.  The execl() family of functions overlay the current process (task) with the process named in the call.  Since the process becomes the new process, execl() can not return to execute code in the original process.  If you see message "Running grep command" or "Running ps command" it means that the execl() function did NOT work.  (You should probably move the messages above the calls to execl() and put error messages after the call.)

The next thing to check is the named pipe.  Your call to execl() doesn't specify the location for input or output so the new processes will read from the default stream.  You need to tell the tasks to use the named pipe.


Good Luck,
Kent

 

by: FIshPosted on 2009-11-03 at 16:52:14ID: 25735497

I got it to work.  I reworked all of my original code, but I did clear up the points you gave me in the new program and it worked.  I really just needed to give the pipe a name, instead of using a name which worked.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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