MiniTalk

MiniTalk is a simple messaging application developed as part of the 42 School curriculum. The project demonstrates the ability to create inter-process communication (IPC) between a client and server using signals in the C programming language.

Project Overview

The MiniTalk project involves implementing a basic messaging system where the client and server communicate using UNIX signals. This project showcases skills in process management, signal handling, and IPC mechanisms.

Key Features

• Client-Server Communication: Establishes communication between a client and a server using UNIX signals.
• Message Sending: Allows the client to send messages to the server.
• Signal Handling: Utilizes signals for sending and receiving messages, demonstrating proficiency in signal handling.

Installation

To get started with MiniTalk, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/username/minitalk.git
   cd minitalk

2. Compile the Project:

   make

3. Run the Server:

   ./server

4. Run the Client:

   ./client [server PID] [message]

Usage

Starting the Server

To start the server, execute the following command:

  ./server

Sending Messages

To send a message from the client to the server, use the following command:

 ./client [server PID] [message]

Start the server

  ./server

The server will output its process ID (PID), for example, 12345.

Sent a message from the client

    ./client 12345 "Hello, Server!"

This command will send the message "Hello, Server!" to the server with PID 12345.

Algorithm Overview

The MiniTalk project uses UNIX signals for inter-process communication (IPC) between the client and server. Below is an overview of how the messaging system operates:

• Signal Handling:

  • The server listens for specific signals from the client. Each signal represents a bit of the message being transmitted. Signals used include SIGUSR1 and SIGUSR2, where SIGUSR1 represents a 0 bit and SIGUSR2 represents a 1 bit.
  • The client sends signals to the server, encoding the message in binary form. Each character in the message is translated to its binary representation and sent bit by bit.

• Message Encoding:

  • The message is converted into a binary format, where each bit corresponds to a signal. For example, the letter 'A' (which is 01000001 in binary) is sent as a series of signals corresponding to its binary representation.
  • The client sends a signal for each bit of the message, ensuring the server can reconstruct the original message from these signals.

• Message Decoding:

  • The server receives signals and reconstructs the message from the binary data. It converts the received bits back into characters, reassembling the original message.
  • The server continues to receive and decode messages until it receives a termination signal, indicating that the communication session is complete.

This approach demonstrates proficiency in handling UNIX signals, message encoding and decoding, and IPC mechanisms.

Skills Demonstrated

• Process Management: Implemented inter-process communication using UNIX signals.
• Signal Handling: Demonstrated the ability to handle and process signals in C.
• IPC Mechanisms: Showcased knowledge of basic IPC mechanisms in a messaging context.

Project Details

• Language: C
• IPC Mechanism: UNIX Signals
• 42 School Project: MiniTalk

Credits

Developed by Adhil as part of the 42 School curriculum.