Chat room using socket programming with select() - winsock - C - c

Question

I try to create a server-client application where the server provides a chat service to all clients that connect to the server. The server and client use cryptographic algorithms and protocols to secure data transmitted over the network. I can't figure out why the chat code isn't working properly.
I use the select() function to operate multiple drawers at the same time. If I use only a piece of code when multiple clients connect to the server and send data to the server and it gets everything, that's fine, but as soon as I try to write a piece of code that would be a chat function, even if multiple clients connect, the server serves only the last connected client. I use a link dynamic list to store the necessary client information, and when I can list currently connected clients, if I don't use part of the chat room code, all clients I connect will be accepted, and as soon as I use the chat room code part, only the last connected client.
This is code for server:
while(1) {
fd_set reads;
reads = master;
//The select function determines the status of one or more sockets, waiting if necessary, to perform synchronous I/O
if (select(max_socket+1, &reads, 0, 0, 0) < 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "select() failed. (%d)\n", GETSOCKETERRNO());
return 1;
}
SOCKET i;
//Loop through each possible socket
for(i = 1; i <= max_socket; ++i) {
if (FD_ISSET(i, &reads)) {
//If socket_listen, create TCP connection of accept() function
if (i == socket_listen) {
//
client_info = create_client();
client_info->client_len = sizeof(client_info->client_address);
client_info->sock_fd = accept(socket_listen,
(struct sockaddr*) &client_info->client_address,
&client_info->client_len);
if (!ISVALIDSOCKET(client_info->sock_fd)) {
fprintf(stderr, "accept() failed. (%d)\n",
GETSOCKETERRNO());
return 1;
}
FD_SET(client_info->sock_fd, &master);
if (client_info->sock_fd > max_socket)
max_socket = client_info->sock_fd;
//Prints the client address using the getnameinfo() function
getnameinfo((struct sockaddr*)&client_info->client_address,
client_info->client_len,
client_info->address_buffer,
100, 0, 0,
NI_NUMERICHOST);
printf("New connection %s\n", client_info->address_buffer);
printf("\nWaiting for succeses Salt handshake...\n");
//Salt handshake
salt_hndshk(client_info);
//Insert client to the list of clients
insert(p_list, client_info);
//List of clients connected to the server with a successful Salt handshake
listing_clients(p_list);
} else {
memset(rx_buffer, 0, sizeof(hndsk_buffer));
//Search for clients by sockets and the is in the list
//the server decrypts the data from the client
CLIENT *client_decrypt = create_client();
client_decrypt = search_client(p_list, i);
ret_msg = salt_read_begin_pom(&client_decrypt->channel, rx_buffer,
sizeof(rx_buffer), &msg_in, pom_buffer, &decrypt_size);
//Check if SALT_ERROR from message
if(ret_msg == SALT_ERROR) {
printf("\tThe client disconnects from the server.\n");
printf("\tThe server has closed him socket\n");
realese_client(p_list, client_decrypt);
FD_CLR(i, &master);
CLOSESOCKET(i);
continue;
}
//Freeing client memory
free(client_decrypt);
}
//Chat room service
SOCKET j;
for(j = 1; j <= max_socket; ++j){
if(FD_ISSET(j, &master)){
if (j == socket_listen || j == i){
continue;
} else {
memset(rx_buffer, 0, sizeof(hndsk_buffer));
//Search for clients by sockets and the is in the list
CLIENT *client_encrypt = create_client();
client_encrypt = search_client(p_list, j);
//Prepare data before send
salt_write_begin(tx_buffer, sizeof(tx_buffer), &msg_out);
//Copy clear text message to be encrypted to next encrypted package
salt_write_next(&msg_out, (uint8_t * )pom_buffer, decrypt_size);
//Wrapping, creating encrpted messages
salt_write_execute(&client_encrypt->channel, &msg_out, false);
//Freeing client memory
free(client_encrypt);
}
} //if(FD_ISSET(j, &master)
} //for(j = 1; j <= max_socket; ++j)
//Finish chat room service
} //if FD_ISSET
} //for i to max_socket
}
There is a link to the application on this link:
tcp_salt

Answer 1

You have logic errors in both of your inner for loops.
When reading from/writing to a non-listening client socket, DO NOT call create_client() at all, you are creating memory leaks with it:
CLIENT *client_decrypt = create_client();
client_decrypt = search_client(...); // <-- LEAK!
CLIENT *client_encrypt = create_client();
client_encrypt = search_client(...); // <-- LEAK!
Call create_client() ONLY when you accept() a new client. And DO NOT call free() on any CLIENT you read from/write to. Call that ONLY when you are removing a CLIENT from p_list.
You are corrupting your p_list on each loop iteration, leaving it with a bunch of dangling pointers to invalid CLIENTs.
Also, your writing code is not checking for errors to disconnect and remove dead clients.
Try something more like this:
while(1) {
fd_set reads;
reads = master;
//The select function determines the status of one or more sockets, waiting if necessary, to perform synchronous I/O
if (select(max_socket+1, &reads, 0, 0, 0) < 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "select() failed. (%d)\n", GETSOCKETERRNO());
return 1;
}
//Loop through each possible socket
for(SOCKET i = 1; i <= max_socket; ++i) {
if (!FD_ISSET(i, &master)) {
continue;
}
if (FD_ISSET(i, &reads)) {
//If socket_listen, create TCP connection of accept() function
if (i == socket_listen) {
//
CLIENT *client_info = create_client();
client_info->client_len = sizeof(client_info->client_address);
client_info->sock_fd = accept(socket_listen,
(struct sockaddr*) &client_info->client_address,
&client_info->client_len);
if (!ISVALIDSOCKET(client_info->sock_fd)) {
fprintf(stderr, "accept() failed. (%d)\n",
GETSOCKETERRNO());
return 1;
}
FD_SET(client_info->sock_fd, &master);
if (client_info->sock_fd > max_socket)
max_socket = client_info->sock_fd;
//Prints the client address using the getnameinfo() function
getnameinfo((struct sockaddr*)&client_info->client_address,
client_info->client_len,
client_info->address_buffer,
100, 0, 0,
NI_NUMERICHOST);
printf("New connection %s\n", client_info->address_buffer);
printf("\nWaiting for succesful Salt handshake...\n");
//Salt handshake
salt_hndshk(client_info);
//Insert client to the list of clients
insert(p_list, client_info);
//List of clients connected to the server with a successful Salt handshake
listing_clients(p_list);
continue;
}
memset(rx_buffer, 0, sizeof(rx_buffer));
//Search for clients by sockets and the is in the list
//the server decrypts the data from the client
CLIENT *client_decrypt = search_client(p_list, i);
ret_msg = salt_read_begin_pom(&client_decrypt->channel, rx_buffer,
sizeof(rx_buffer), &msg_in, pom_buffer, &decrypt_size);
//Check if SALT_ERROR from message
if (ret_msg == SALT_ERROR) {
printf("\tThe client disconnects from the server.\n");
printf("\tThe server has closed his socket\n");
release_client(p_list, client_decrypt);
free(client_decrypt);
CLOSESOCKET(i);
FD_CLR(i, &master);
continue;
}
//Chat room service
for(SOCKET j = 1; j <= max_socket; ++j){
if (!FD_ISSET(j, &master) || j == socket_listen || j == i){
continue;
}
memset(rx_buffer, 0, sizeof(rx_buffer));
//Search for clients by sockets and the is in the list
CLIENT *client_encrypt = search_client(p_list, j);
//Prepare data before send
ret_msg = salt_write_begin(tx_buffer, sizeof(tx_buffer), &msg_out);
//Copy clear text message to be encrypted to next encrypted package
if (ret_msg != SALT_ERROR)
ret_msg = salt_write_next(&msg_out, (uint8_t * )pom_buffer, decrypt_size);
//Wrapping, creating encrpted messages
if (ret_msg != SALT_ERROR
ret_msg = salt_write_execute(&client_encrypt->channel, &msg_out, false);
//Check if SALT_ERROR from message
if (ret_msg == SALT_ERROR) {
printf("\tThe client disconnects from the server.\n");
printf("\tThe server has closed his socket\n");
release_client(p_list, client_decrypt);
free(client_decrypt);
CLOSESOCKET(i);
FD_CLR(i, &master);
continue;
}
}
}
}
}