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File Descriptors in Linux

File descriptors in Linux are small numbers used by the operating system to track open files and I/O resources for each process. Each process has its own file descriptor table, allowing for efficient resource management and the ability to use a uniform interface for different types of I/O. This system enables powerful application development, including the ability to redirect input and output seamlessly.

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4JN20CS001 - Abdul Rahman Pasha
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3 views

File Descriptors in Linux

File descriptors in Linux are small numbers used by the operating system to track open files and I/O resources for each process. Each process has its own file descriptor table, allowing for efficient resource management and the ability to use a uniform interface for different types of I/O. This system enables powerful application development, including the ability to redirect input and output seamlessly.

Uploaded by

4JN20CS001 - Abdul Rahman Pasha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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File Descriptors in Linux

The Easy Explanation:​


A file descriptor is simply a small number that the operating system (OS) uses to keep track of
an open file—or more generally, any input/output resource (like a network socket, a pipe, or
even a directory). Every running program (or process) has its own table of these numbers. By
convention, when a process starts, it is given three standard file descriptors:

●​ 0: Standard Input (stdin)


●​ 1: Standard Output (stdout)
●​ 2: Standard Error (stderr)

When a program opens a file or creates a pipe, the kernel assigns the next available integer as
the file descriptor. This number is then used for subsequent operations (like reading or writing)
to identify that file or resource.

A Deeper Look:

●​ Uniform Interface:​
Linux (and Unix-like systems) follow the “everything is a file” philosophy. This means
that not only regular files but also devices, sockets, and even some inter-process
communication channels are accessed through file descriptors. This design choice
simplifies programming because a single set of system calls (e.g., read(), write(),
close()) can be used for many types of I/O.​

●​ The File Descriptor Table:​


Every process maintains its own table of file descriptors. When you call functions like
open(), the kernel finds the lowest unused integer and adds an entry in the table that
points to a data structure describing that open resource. This table is process-specific,
which means that the same number (say, file descriptor 3) in two different processes
refers to different open files.​

●​ Resource Management:​
File descriptors are not limited to files stored on disk. They can represent sockets,
named pipes (FIFOs), and even pseudo-devices like /dev/null. Because the kernel
manages these using the same basic mechanism, it can easily duplicate file descriptors
(using calls like dup() or dup2()) and pass them between processes, ensuring efficient
resource sharing.​

●​ Why It Matters:​
This system allows programmers to build powerful applications that can redirect
input/output easily. For instance, in the shell command command > file.txt 2>&1,
both standard output and standard error are directed to the same file using file descriptor
redirection. Such flexibility is a cornerstone of Unix-like design.

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