DIAL(2) DIAL(2)
NAME
dial, hangup, announce, listen, accept, reject, netmkaddr -
make and break network connections
SYNOPSIS
int dial(char *addr, char *local, char *dir, int *cfdp)
int hangup(int ctl)
int announce(char *addr, char *dir)
int listen(char *dir, char *dir)
int accept(int ctl, char *dir)
int reject(int ctl, char *dir, char *cause)
char* netmkaddr(char *addr, char *defnet, char *defser-
vice)
DESCRIPTION
For these routines, addr is a network address of the form
network!netaddr!service, network!netaddr, or simply netaddr.
Network is any directory listed in /net or the special
token, net. Net is a free variable that stands for any net-
work in common between the source and the host netaddr.
Netaddr can be a host name, a domain name, a network
address, or a meta-name of the form $attribute. $attribute
is replaced by value from the value-attribute pair
attribute=value most closely associated with the source host
in the network data base (see ndb(6)).
If a connection attempt is successful and dir is non-zero,
the path name of a line directory that has files for access-
ing the connection is copied into dir. The path name is
guaranteed to be less than 40 bytes long. One line direc-
tory exists for each possible connection. The data file in
the line directory should be used to communicate with the
destination. The ctl file in the line directory can be used
to send commands to the line. See dk(3) and ip(3) for mes-
sages that can be written to the ctl file. The last close
of the data or ctl file will close the connection.
Dial makes a call to destination addr on a multiplexed net-
work. If the network in addr is net, dial will try in suc-
cession all networks in common between source and destina-
tion until a call succeeds. It returns a file descriptor
open for reading and writing the data file in the line
directory. The addr file in the line directory contains the
address called. If the network allows the local address to
Page 1 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)
DIAL(2) DIAL(2)
be set, as is the case with UDP and TCP port numbers, and
local is non-zero, the local address will be set to local.
If cfdp is non-zero, *cfdp is set to a file descriptor open
for reading and writing the control file.
Hangup is a means of forcing a connection to hang up without
closing the ctl and data files.
Announce and listen are the complements of dial. Announce
establishes a network name to which calls can be made. Like
dial, announce returns an open ctl file. The listen routine
takes as its first argument the dir of a previous announce.
When a call is received, listen returns an open ctl file for
the line the call was received on. It sets dir to the path
name of the new line directory. Accept accepts a call
received by listen, while reject refuses the call because of
cause. Accept returns a file descriptor for the data file
opened ORDWR .
Netmkaddr make an address suitable for dialing or announc-
ing. It takes an address along with a default network and
service to use if they are not specified in the address. It
returns a pointer to static data holding the actual address
to use.
EXAMPLES
Make a call and return an open file descriptor to use for
communications:
int callkremvax(void)
{
return dial("kremvax", 0, 0, 0);
}
Call the local authentication server:
int dialauth(char *service)
{
return dial(netmkaddr("$auth", 0, service), 0, 0, 0);
}
Announce as kremvax on Datakit and loop forever receiving
calls and echoing back to the caller anything sent:
int
bekremvax(void)
{
int dfd, acfd, lcfd;
char adir[40], ldir[40];
int n;
char buf[256];
Page 2 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)
DIAL(2) DIAL(2)
afd = announce("dk!kremvax", adir);
if(afd < 0)
return -1;
for(;;){
/* listen for a call */
lcfd = listen(adir, ldir);
if(lcfd < 0)
return -1;
/* fork a process to echo */
switch(fork()){
case -1:
perror("forking0);
close(lcfd);
break;
case 0:
/* accept the call and open the data file */
dfd = accept(lcfd, ldir);
if(dfd < 0)
return -1;
/* echo until EOF */
while((n = read(dfd, buf, sizeof(buf))) > 0)
write(dfd, buf, n);
exits(0);
default:
close(lcfd);
break;
}
}
}
SEE ALSO
auth(2), dk(3), ip(3), stream(3), ndb(8)
DIAGNOSTICS
Dial, announce, and listen return -1 if they fail. Hangup
returns nonzero if it fails.
Page 3 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)