UNIX domain sockets ?

[Bruce Barnett]

In article <596 at brl-smoke.ARPA> lerner at isi-vaxa.arpa (Mitchell Lerner) writes:
>>Does anyone have any information or experience regarding the general
>>health of stream-mode, unix-domain sockets under Release 3.0 of SUN
>>UNIX?  
>Well, sombody correct me if i am wrong, but, when 4.2 first was released
>Unix domain sockets were flakey, much in the way that you describe above.
>I was told that Dr. Bill Joy himself said, somthing to the effect: "Unix
>domain sockets were just not a good Idea." and " Dont use Unix domain because
>It doesnt work.".
>
>Even for Intrahost (same host) IPC I've used the Internet domain and had 
>no problem.  The kernal can tell that the connection is not remote and 
>doesnt send the data out the e.c/LAN (incurring overhead).

Doesn't this work only if you run ifconfig(8)? Then, assuming  a stand-alone
machine, you either get an error `no carrier' every thirty seconds (or so) 
or you have to put a loop-back plug on the ethernet connecter on the back 
of the Sun.

My question is: Is there a single method of using sockets on both stand-alone
and networked machines? Or do we have to use two different portions of code
for the two configurations? How do people handle this difference?

As an aside, if Unix Domain sockets are so flakey, how do pipes (which are 
implemented as sockets) work without (apparent) problems?

Bruce Barnett (518) 783 3516

 seismo!rochester!steinmetz!factron!bbarnett
                       spar!factron!bbarnett