Chapter 4. UNIX IO

Chapter 4. UNIX I/O

UNIX uses a uniform device interface, through file descriptors, that allows the same I/O calls to be used for terminals, disks, tapes, audio and even network communication. This chapter explores the five functions that form the basis for UNIX device-independent I/O. The chapter also examines I/O from multiple sources, blocking I/O with timeouts, inheritance of file descriptors and redirection. The code carefully handles errors and interruption by signals.

Objectives

• Learn the basics of device-independent I/O

• Experiment with read and write

• Explore ways to monitor multiple descriptors

• Use correct error handling

• Understand inheritance of file descriptors