EPIPE - Broken pipe | LinuxFix.dev

Solutions

Prerequisites: Start by updating your system to resolve common issues and ensure the solutions provided below are compatible with your current environment.

check_latest_version && sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Handle SIGPIPE signal

Properly handle broken pipe signals:

trap "echo Pipe broken" PIPE

echo "data" | timeout 1 sleep 10

command 2>/dev/null || true

Check pipeline processes

Verify all processes in pipeline:

ps aux | grep process_name

jobs

pgrep -f "command"

Use buffering

Add buffering to prevent pipe breaks:

command | buffer | consumer

stdbuf -o L command | consumer

mbuffer -m 1M | consumer

What is EPIPE?

EPIPE occurs when writing to a pipe or socket where the reading end has been closed.

Common scenarios: Process exits before reading pipe data, network connections closed unexpectedly, or command pipeline breaks.

Common Causes

Reader process terminated
Pipe consumer exits early
Network connection closed
SIGPIPE signal not handled
Broken command pipeline

Debugging Tips

strace -e trace=write command

lsof -p process_id

netstat -an | grep connection

ps -ef | grep pipeline

Prevention

Handle SIGPIPE in applications
Check consumer process status
Use proper error handling
Monitor pipeline processes

Additional Resources

Linux Signals Guide

Understanding Unix signals