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?