Unix Domain Sockets

Discussions advocating for Unix domain sockets over TCP localhost ports or pipes for efficient local inter-process communication, highlighting benefits like performance, portability, and simplicity without network stack overhead.

📉 Falling 0.3x DevOps & Infrastructure
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#2429
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Keywords

PPP e.g CLIPS connect.html UNIX UDP kylheku.com UX IPC JDBC sockets socket unix tcp domain udp systemd port connections pipes

Sample Comments

sfkdjf9j3j • Apr 18, 2020 • View on HN

What's wrong with forking and using a pipe or socket?

flashgordon • Sep 25, 2014 • View on HN

Hmmm wouldnt it have been better (for portability reasons) to implement the equivalent of unix domain sockets instead?

flashgordon • Sep 25, 2014 • View on HN

Hmmm wouldnt it have been better (for portability reasons) to implement the equivalent of unix domain sockets instead?

shawn_w • Nov 18, 2024 • View on HN

Unix domain stream sockets do not use tcp. Nor do unix datagram sockets use udp. They're much simpler.

unsnap_biceps • Mar 29, 2025 • View on HN

It's unfortunate that Unix sockets isn't being used for local connections like this.

kevin_thibedeau • Aug 31, 2018 • View on HN

Unix domain sockets. Bidirectional, and you can use datagrams to bypass the effort of framing data yourself.

the8472 • Aug 27, 2023 • View on HN

Using SOCK_SEQPACKET would be saner than pipes or SOCK_STREAM.

jbverschoor • Sep 5, 2022 • View on HN

Why does everybody use tcp ports instead of file sockets for local communication?

eadmund • Feb 12, 2025 • View on HN

Support for Unix sockets would be a gamechanger.

ithkuil • May 9, 2021 • View on HN

Any good examples of how the socket API could have been better if they did stick to the dominant abstraction?