Example of IPv6 TCP client-server application(s) using blocking sockets

client.c

#include <arpa/inet.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <unistd.h>
 
#define SERVER_PORT 7002
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
	int sock_fd = -1;
	struct sockaddr_in6 server_addr;
	int ret;
	char ch = 'a';
 
	/* Arguments could be used in getaddrinfo() to get e.g. IP of server */
	(void)argc;
	(void)argv;
 
	/* Create socket for communication with server */
	sock_fd = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP);
	if (sock_fd == -1) {
		perror("socket()");
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	/* Connect to server running on localhost */
	server_addr.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
	inet_pton(AF_INET6, "::1", &server_addr.sin6_addr);
	server_addr.sin6_port = htons(SERVER_PORT);
 
	/* Try to do TCP handshake with server */
	ret = connect(sock_fd, (struct sockaddr*)&server_addr, sizeof(server_addr));
	if (ret == -1) {
		perror("connect()");
		close(sock_fd);
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	/* Send data to server */
	ret = write(sock_fd, &ch, 1);
	if (ret == -1) {
		perror("write");
		close(sock_fd);
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	/* Wait for data from server */
	ret = read(sock_fd, &ch, 1);
	if (ret == -1) {
		perror("read()");
		close(sock_fd);
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	printf("Received %c from server\n", ch);
 
	/* DO TCP teardown */
	ret = close(sock_fd);
	if (ret == -1) {
		perror("close()");
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

CMakeLists.txt

# Main CMakeFile.txt
 
# Minimal version of CMake
cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 2.6)
 
# Build type
if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE AND NOT CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
	message(STATUS "Setting build type to 'Debug' as none was specified.")
	set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Debug CACHE STRING "Choose the type of build." FORCE)
	# Set the possible values of build type for cmake-gui
	set_property(CACHE CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE PROPERTY STRINGS "Debug" "Release")
endif ()
 
# Define project name
project (Client-Server)
 
# Source code for server		
set (server_src server.c)
 
# Source code for client		
set (client_src client.c)
 
# Compiler flags
if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
    set (CMAKE_C_FLAGS "-D_REETRANT -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -Wno-long-long")
	if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug")
   	    set (CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -ggdb -O0")
	elseif( CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Release" )
	    set (CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DNDEBUG -O3 -fno-strict-aliasing")
	endif ()
endif (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
 
# Set up verse server executable
add_executable (server ${server_src})
 
# Set up verse server executable
add_executable (client ${client_src})

server.c

#include <arpa/inet.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
 
#define CLIENT_QUEUE_LEN 10
#define SERVER_PORT 7002
 
int main(void)
{
	int listen_sock_fd = -1, client_sock_fd = -1;
	struct sockaddr_in6 server_addr, client_addr;
	socklen_t client_addr_len;
	char str_addr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
	int ret, flag;
	char ch;
 
	/* Create socket for listening (client requests) */
	listen_sock_fd = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP);
	if(listen_sock_fd == -1) {
		perror("socket()");
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	/* Set socket to reuse address */
	flag = 1;
	ret = setsockopt(listen_sock_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &flag, sizeof(flag));
	if(ret == -1) {
		perror("setsockopt()");
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}

	server_addr.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
	server_addr.sin6_addr = in6addr_any;
	server_addr.sin6_port = htons(SERVER_PORT);
 
	/* Bind address and socket together */
	ret = bind(listen_sock_fd, (struct sockaddr*)&server_addr, sizeof(server_addr));
	if(ret == -1) {
		perror("bind()");
		close(listen_sock_fd);
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	/* Create listening queue (client requests) */
	ret = listen(listen_sock_fd, CLIENT_QUEUE_LEN);
	if (ret == -1) {
		perror("listen()");
		close(listen_sock_fd);
		return EXIT_FAILURE;
	}
 
	client_addr_len = sizeof(client_addr);
 
	while(1) {
		/* Do TCP handshake with client */
		client_sock_fd = accept(listen_sock_fd,
				(struct sockaddr*)&client_addr,
				&client_addr_len);
		if (client_sock_fd == -1) {
			perror("accept()");
			close(listen_sock_fd);
			return EXIT_FAILURE;
		}
 
		inet_ntop(AF_INET6, &(client_addr.sin6_addr),
				str_addr, sizeof(str_addr));
		printf("New connection from: %s:%d ...\n",
				str_addr,
				ntohs(client_addr.sin6_port));
 
		/* Wait for data from client */
		ret = read(client_sock_fd, &ch, 1);
		if (ret == -1) {
			perror("read()");
			close(client_sock_fd);
			continue;
		}
 
		/* Do very useful thing with received data :-) */
		ch++;
 
		/* Send response to client */
		ret = write(client_sock_fd, &ch, 1);
		if (ret == -1) {
			perror("write()");
			close(client_sock_fd);
			continue;
		}
 
		/* Do TCP teardown */
		ret = close(client_sock_fd);
		if (ret == -1) {
			perror("close()");
			client_sock_fd = -1;
		}
 
		printf("Connection closed\n");
	}
	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Hey, thanks for the example! Special thanks for using a good coding style :)

Hey there, whenever I try run the server code, Im gettng this error: (bind(): Cannot assign requested address) could you help me?

Hi @TaikoG,
The example uses IPv6. Do you have IPv6 enabled on your system?

@jirihnidek Yes, I do currently running on windows 11.

You can enable IPv6 on Windows 11.