Welcome to Minitalk, a C project that implements a communication system between a server and a client using Unix signals (SIGUSR1 and SIGUSR2). The goal of this project is to transmit messages from the client to the server bit by bit, improving understanding of inter-process communication and Unix signal handling.
| Category | Functions |
|---|---|
| Communication | send_message, receive_message |
| Signal Handling | signal_handler, setup_signal_handlers |
| Client & Server Logic | client, server |
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Signal-Based Communication:
- Implement communication between a client and a server using Unix signals (
SIGUSR1andSIGUSR2), transmitting each character as a sequence of bits.
- Implement communication between a client and a server using Unix signals (
-
Send Messages Bit by Bit:
- The client sends messages to the server, encoding each character in binary and transmitting it using signals one bit at a time.
-
Server Receiving Messages:
- The server listens for signals, accumulates the bits, and reconstructs the message once all 8 bits of a character are received.
-
Efficient Signal Management:
- Efficient signal handling using Unix signal functions such as
signal(), with proper error handling and memory management.
- Efficient signal handling using Unix signal functions such as
| File | Description |
|---|---|
Makefile |
Automates the compilation process. Run make to generate the client and server executables. |
minitalk.h |
Header file with function prototypes and necessary includes. |
minitalk_bonus.h |
Header file with function prototypes and necessary includes. |
client.c |
Implementation of the client, responsible for sending the message. |
server.c |
Implementation of the server, responsible for receiving and displaying the message. |
client_bonus.c |
Implementation of the client, responsible for sending the message. |
server_bonus.c |
Implementation of the server, responsible for receiving and displaying the message. |
Use the Makefile to compile the project.
- Compile the project:
make
make bonus
- Clean the project: (remove object files)
make clean
- Full cleanup (remove all generated files):
make fclean
- Recompile after cleaning:
make re
Once compiled, you can use the client and server as follows:
Run the Server In one terminal window, run the server with this command:
./serverThe server will display its PID (process ID), which is needed by the client to send messages.
Run the Client In another terminal window, run the client with this command, replacing <server_pid> with the server's PID:
./client <server_pid> "Hello, server!"The client will send the message to the server bit by bit.
To test the correct functionality of Minitalk, you can run the following:
Server Output:
$ ./server
Server PID: 12345Client Command:
$ ./client 12345 "Hello, server!"Server Output (after receiving the message):
received message: Hello, server!If you'd like to contribute to this project, feel free to fork the repository, make your changes, and submit a pull request!