nbpipes

nbpipes [options] [named_pipe_path]

-l
    List all active named pipes on the system.

[named_pipe_path]
    Specify the path to a specific named pipe for inspection. If omitted when using options other than -l, a default directory may be scanned.

-p
    Show processes connected to specified named pipe.

-s
    Send to specified named pipe.

-r
    Receive data from specified named pipe (blocking operation).

-h
    Display help message.

The nbpipes command is a powerful tool for inspecting and interacting with named pipes (FIFOs) on a Linux system. It provides capabilities to list active named pipes, examine the processes connected to them, and even send data to or receive data from those pipes. This allows administrators and developers to monitor communication channels between different processes, debug data flow issues, and gain insights into inter-process communication patterns. nbpipes can be used to identify bottlenecks, trace data flow, and understand how different applications interact through named pipes. It is valuable for troubleshooting complex system behaviors and ensuring proper data exchange in multi-process environments. The command simplifies the process of exploring named pipe activity, providing a comprehensive view of their current state and the involved processes.
By simplifying named pipe monitoring, nbpipes aids in maintaining system stability and resolving communication-related problems efficiently.

The nbpipes command requires appropriate permissions to access and interact with named pipes, especially those owned by other users or processes. Data sent or received through nbpipes may be subject to data encoding issues if the processes communicating via the named pipe are using different encoding schemes.

List all named pipes: nbpipes -l
Show processes using pipe: nbpipes -p /tmp/my_pipe
Send data to pipe: nbpipes -s "Hello World" /tmp/my_pipe

mkfifo(1), lsof(1), ps(1)