NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       socket  - Create an end point for communication and return
       a descriptor

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       #include <sys/socket.h>

       int socket(
               int domain,
               int type,
               int protocol );

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Interfaces documented on this reference  page  conform  to
       industry standards as follows:

       socket(): XNS4.0, XNS5.0

       Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information
 about industry standards and associated tags.

PARAMETERS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Specifies the communications domain in which a  socket  is
       to  be  created. The domain argument specifies the address
       family with which  addresses  specified  in  later  socket
       operations  should  be  interpreted. The sys/socket.h file
       contains the definitions of the address families. Commonly
       used  families  are:  UNIX  pathnames  Internet  addresses
       (IPv4) [Tru64 UNIX]   Internet addresses (IPv6)  Specifies
       the  semantics  of  communication.  The  sys/socket.h file
       defines the socket types. The  following  types  are  supported:
 Provides sequenced, reliable, two-way byte streams
       with a transmission mechanism for out-of-band data.   Provides
  datagrams,  which  are connectionless messages of a
       fixed maximum length.  [Tru64 UNIX]   Provides  access  to
       internal  network  protocols  and interfaces. This type of
       socket is available only to a process with  the  superuser
       privilege.   Specifies  a  particular  protocol to be used
       with the socket. Specifying a protocol of 0 (zero)  causes
       the  socket()  function to default to the typical protocol
       for the requested type of returned socket.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The socket() function creates a socket  of  the  specified
       type in the specified domain.

       The  socket()  function  returns a descriptor (an integer)
       that can be used in later system  calls  that  operate  on
       sockets.

       Socket  level  options control socket operations. The getsockopt()
 and setsockopt() functions are used to  get  and
       set  these  options, which are defined in the sys/socket.h
       file.

       The sensitivity level of the new socket is inherited  from
       the  creating  process.  The  information label of the new
       socket is set to System Low.

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

       Upon successful completion, the socket() function  returns
       a  nonnegative integer (the socket descriptor). Otherwise,
       a value of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the
       error.

ERRORS    [Toc]    [Back]

       If the socket() function fails, errno may be set to one of
       the following values: The process have not have  appropriate
  privileges.   The  addresses in the specified address
       family are  not  supported.   The  per-process  descriptor
       table is full.  No more file descriptors are available for
       the system.  Insufficient resources were available in  the
       system  to  complete  the  call.  The system was unable to
       allocate kernel memory to increase the process  descriptor
       table.   The available STREAMS resources were insufficient
       for the operation to complete.  [Tru64 UNIX]  The  process
       is  attempting  to open a raw socket and does not have the
       superuser privilege.  The protocol is not supported by the
       specified address family or the protocol is not supported.
       The socket type is not supported by the protocol.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       Functions: accept(2), bind(2), connect(2), listen(2), getsockname(2),    getsockopt(2),    recv(2),    recvfrom(2),
       recvmsg(2), send(2), sendto(2), sendmsg(2), setsockopt(2),
       shutdown(2), socketpair(2)

       Standards: standards(5)

       Network Programmer's Guide



                                                        socket(2)