Hello,
I wonder how AF_INET is different from PF_INET when passed as the first
parameter to socket(). My man only states PF_INET.

Thank you

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In article <dqej42$b6h$1@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr>,
"stathis gotsis" <stathisgotsis@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>    I wonder how AF_INET is different from PF_INET when passed as the first
> parameter to socket(). My man only states PF_INET.

The original intent was that the AF_* constants would be used when
dealing with addresses, and PF_* when dealing with protocol suites.
However, in practice there's a one-to-one correspondence -- IP protocols
always use IP addresses, Appletalk protocols always use Appletalk
addresses, etc.  So AF_INET == PF_INET, and over time the distinction
between the two sets was dropped.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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Barry Margolin wrote:
> In article <dqej42$b6h$1@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr>,
>  "stathis gotsis" <stathisgotsis@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
>
>
> The original intent was that the AF_* constants would be used when
> dealing with addresses, and PF_* when dealing with protocol suites.
> However, in practice there's a one-to-one correspondence -- IP protocols
> always use IP addresses, Appletalk protocols always use Appletalk
> addresses, etc.  So AF_INET == PF_INET, and over time the distinction
> between the two sets was dropped.
>

The late W. Richard Stevens (the author of the "TCP/IP Illustrated" series)
has a page (derived from a 1996 thread in comp.protocols.tcpip) that discuss
es
this.

See http://www.kohala.com/start/lanciani.96apr10.txt


- --
Lew Pitcher

Master Codewright & JOAT-in-training | GPG public key available on request
Registered Linux User #112576 (http://counter.li.org/)
Slackware - Because I know what I'm doing.
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