Example of using named pipes in Linux Bash

Question

Can someone post a simple example of using named pipes in Bash in Linux?

Answer 1

Terminal 1:

$ mknod new_named_pipe p
$ echo 123 > new_named_pipe

• Terminal 1 created a named pipe.
• It wrote data in it using echo.
• It is blocked as there is no receiving end (as pipes both named and unnamed need receiving and writing ends to it)

Terminal 2:

$ cat new_named_pipe
$ 123
$ 

• From Terminal 2, a receiving end for the data is added.
• It read the data in it using cat.
• Since both receiving and writing ends are there for the new_named_pipe it displays the information and blocking stops

Named pipes are used everywhere in Linux, most of the char and block files we see during ls -l command are char and block pipes (All of these reside at /dev). These pipes can be blocking and non-blocking, and the main advantage is these provides the simplest way for IPC.