What is the difference between a socket and a pipe in Linux?

In Linux, a socket is a communication endpoint that allows different processes to communicate with each other, either on the same machine or across a network. It is typically used for network communication.

On the other hand, a pipe is a form of inter-process communication that allows the output of one process to be connected directly to the input of another process. Pipes are typically used for communication between two processes running on the same machine.

While sockets are bidirectional communication channels that can work over a network, pipes are unidirectional communication channels that only work between related processes.

So, in summary, the main difference between a socket and a pipe in Linux is that sockets are used for network communication, while pipes are used for inter-process communication on a local machine.