mkfifo don't make a FIFO special file

Question

when i compile my program it does not create a fifo type file, yet i change the permission, but still nothing I also changed files but still nothing, the code compiles without problem, however when I run then I check if the fifo file is generated, but it is not so no file is generated

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <limits.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

#define FIFO_NAME "/tmp/my_fifo"
#define BUFFER_SIZE PIPE_BUF
#define TEN_MEG (1024 * 1024 * 10)

int main()
{
    int pipe_fd;
    int res;
    int open_mode = O_WRONLY;
    int bytes_sent = 0;
    char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
    res = mkfifo(FIFO_NAME, 0777);
    if (access(FIFO_NAME, F_OK) == -1) {
        res = mkfifo(FIFO_NAME, 0777);
        if (res != 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Could not create fifo %s\n", FIFO_NAME);
            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
        }
    }

    printf("Process %d opening FIFO O_WRONLY\n", getpid());
    pipe_fd = open(FIFO_NAME, open_mode);
    printf("Process %d result %d\n", getpid(), pipe_fd);

    if (pipe_fd != -1) {
        while(bytes_sent < TEN_MEG) {
            res = write(pipe_fd, buffer, BUFFER_SIZE);
            if (res == -1) {
                fprintf(stderr, "Write error on pipe\n");
                exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
            }
            bytes_sent += res;
        }
        (void)close(pipe_fd); 
    }
    else {
        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);        
    }

    printf("Process %d finished\n", getpid());
    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
}

here is the code of the second entity with which the first communicates

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <limits.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

#define FIFO_NAME "/tmp/my_fifo"
#define BUFFER_SIZE PIPE_BUF

int main()
{
    int pipe_fd;
    int res;
    int open_mode = O_RDONLY;
    char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
    int bytes_read = 0;

    memset(buffer, '\0', sizeof(buffer));
   
    printf("Process %d opening FIFO O_RDONLY\n", getpid());
    pipe_fd = open(FIFO_NAME, open_mode);
    printf("Process %d result %d\n", getpid(), pipe_fd);

    if (pipe_fd != -1) {
        do {
            res = read(pipe_fd, buffer, BUFFER_SIZE);
            bytes_read += res;
        } while (res > 0);
        (void)close(pipe_fd);
    }
    else {
        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
    }

    printf("Process %d finished, %d bytes read\n", getpid(), bytes_read);
    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
}

Answer 1

I think the problem is blocking. The open will block if no process is reading. For example, you might read from the fifo using:

cat /tmp/my_fifo

Here is a modified version of your code, to demonstrate:

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <limits.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

#define FIFO_NAME "/tmp/my_fifo"
#define BUFFER_SIZE PIPE_BUF
#define TEN_MEG (1024 * 1024 * 10)
int main()
{
    int pipe_fd;
    int res;
    int open_mode = O_WRONLY;
    int bytes_sent = 0;
    char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
    res = mkfifo(FIFO_NAME, 0666);
    if (access(FIFO_NAME, F_OK) == -1) {
        res = mkfifo(FIFO_NAME, 0666);
        if (res != 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Could not create fifo %s\n", FIFO_NAME);
            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
        }
    }

    printf("Process %d opening FIFO O_WRONLY\n", getpid());

    pipe_fd = -1;
    while(pipe_fd == -1) {
      printf("Sleeping in loop \n");
      sleep(1);

      //Either of these versions work, but one will block, while the
      //other will allow the loop to run
//    pipe_fd = open(FIFO_NAME, open_mode ); // blocking version
    pipe_fd = open(FIFO_NAME, open_mode | O_NONBLOCK); // non-blocking
    }
    printf("Process %d result %d\n", getpid(), pipe_fd);

    char greeting[] = "Hi there\n";
    write(pipe_fd, greeting, strlen(greeting));


    printf("Process %d finished\n", getpid());
    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
}

You can use the open() line with O_NONBLOCK or the one without. In either case the process will wait until someone reads from the fifo.