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(libc.info)Closing a Socket

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Closing a Socket
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   When you have finished using a socket, you can simply close its file
descriptor with `close'; see Note: Opening and Closing Files.  If
there is still data waiting to be transmitted over the connection,
normally `close' tries to complete this transmission.  You can control
this behavior using the `SO_LINGER' socket option to specify a timeout
period; see Note: Socket Options.

   You can also shut down only reception or transmission on a
connection by calling `shutdown', which is declared in `sys/socket.h'.

 - Function: int shutdown (int SOCKET, int HOW)
     The `shutdown' function shuts down the connection of socket
     SOCKET.  The argument HOW specifies what action to perform:

    `0'
          Stop receiving data for this socket.  If further data arrives,
          reject it.

    `1'
          Stop trying to transmit data from this socket.  Discard any
          data waiting to be sent.  Stop looking for acknowledgement of
          data already sent; don't retransmit it if it is lost.

    `2'
          Stop both reception and transmission.

     The return value is `0' on success and `-1' on failure.  The
     following `errno' error conditions are defined for this function:

    `EBADF'
          SOCKET is not a valid file descriptor.

    `ENOTSOCK'
          SOCKET is not a socket.

    `ENOTCONN'
          SOCKET is not connected.