 | | A program accesses the DLPI through a file descriptor. When the program reads from the file descriptor, it receives raw network packets with all of their headers still attached. The program is responsible for extracting necessary information from these headers, stripping them off to get at the data, and so forth. Depending on the type of packet and what is to be learned from it, this can be a complex task. When the program writes to the file descriptor, the data is transmitted on the network. The program is responsible for formatting its data into a legal packet format including headers, checksums, and so forth. If anything, this can be even more complex than reading packets. | |
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