When should I use a FIFO instead of a standard pipe?

FIFOs (named pipes) are useful when you need asynchronous communication between unrelated processes or when you need a persistent communication channel that exists in the filesystem rather than a simple linear pipe.

How do coprocesses differ from standard background jobs?

Coprocesses create a bidirectional pipe between the shell and a command, allowing the shell to both write to the command's stdin and read from its stdout simultaneously using specific file descriptors.

Does this skill work with modern Bash versions?

Yes, it specifically includes patterns for Bash 4+ features like coproc and advanced file descriptor handling, while maintaining compatibility with standard POSIX streaming where applicable.

What is process substitution in Bash?

Process substitution allows you to treat the output of a command as a file (using (command)), enabling complex pipelines without temporary files.

Bash Process Substitution & FIFOs

Name: Bash Process Substitution & FIFOs
Author: JosiahSiegel

byJosiahSiegel

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Developer Tools

Implements advanced inter-process communication patterns in Bash using process substitution, named pipes, and efficient data streaming techniques.

About

This skill empowers Claude to master complex Bash workflows by utilizing process substitution, FIFOs (named pipes), and coprocesses for efficient data handling without the need for temporary files. It provides production-ready implementation patterns for parallel data processing, bidirectional communication, real-time log aggregation, and sophisticated data pipelines. This is particularly useful for developers and DevOps engineers who need to build high-performance shell scripts that manage multiple data streams simultaneously while maintaining clean, robust code.

Key Features

Data streaming patterns for real-time log filtering, progress monitoring, and batch processing.
Implementation of named pipes (FIFOs) for asynchronous inter-process communication and producer-consumer patterns.
Utilization of Bash 4+ coprocesses for bidirectional interaction with external tools like Python or bc.
Advanced input/output process substitution for complex command chaining and data comparison.
Best practices for trap-based cleanup and file descriptor management in multi-process environments.
7 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Comparing outputs of multiple complex commands or remote files without creating intermediate temporary files.
Creating multi-worker producer-consumer pools in shell environments for parallel data transformation tasks.
Building real-time log aggregators that simultaneously filter, route, and archive system data streams.

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace process-substitution-fifos

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill

GitHub

About

Key Features

Data streaming patterns for real-time log filtering, progress monitoring, and batch processing.
Implementation of named pipes (FIFOs) for asynchronous inter-process communication and producer-consumer patterns.
Utilization of Bash 4+ coprocesses for bidirectional interaction with external tools like Python or bc.
Advanced input/output process substitution for complex command chaining and data comparison.
Best practices for trap-based cleanup and file descriptor management in multi-process environments.
7 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Comparing outputs of multiple complex commands or remote files without creating intermediate temporary files.
Creating multi-worker producer-consumer pools in shell environments for parallel data transformation tasks.
Building real-time log aggregators that simultaneously filter, route, and archive system data streams.