help! fifo read problem

i have a client and a server process. the server is run in the background, and waits for the client to write to a pipe (fifo). the problem is that everything that the server reads is null.

maybe the client isn't writing, but i just don't see it.
anyway, here's the code, if anyone can help me please, appreciate it.

server

Code:

#define BUF		3

//void sint(int s);

char *fifo = "ru", rec[BUF+1];
int fd, rnum, max[2], i, tempN;

main(){

	i = 0;
	max[0] = 0;		//index
	max[1] = 0;		//number

	setpgid(0, 666);

	//server will print after interrupt is sent
	//signal(SIGINT, sint);
	printf("server: now starting...\n");

	//creating fifo
	if(mkfifo(fifo, 0666) == -1)
		perror("make fifo failed, it may alredy exist");
	else
		printf("server: fifo successfully created...\n");

	//open for reading
	if((fd = open(fifo, O_RDONLY)) < 0)
		perror("fifo not opened");
	else
		printf("server: fifo is now open for reading...\n");

	while(i < 300){
		if(read(fd,  rec, BUF+1) == -1)
			perror("server can't read from fifo");
		else
			//printf("server: reading value...\n");
		printf("%4d -> %4d - num = %s\n", i, tempN, rec);
		tempN = atoi(rec);
		i++;

		if(tempN > max[1]){
			max[0] = i;
			max[1] = tempN;
		}
		if(tempN > 0)
			break;
	}
	close(fd);
	exit(0);
	//TESTING...AND IF NOT SIGNALING!!!
	printf("======================================================\n");
	printf("Largest value found is in position");
	printf(" %d, and the value is %d\n", max[0], max[1]);
	printf("======================================================\n");

}

client

Code:

#define BUF		3

int randnum(void);

main(){
	int fd, i, rnum;
	char *fifo = "ru", sent[BUF+1];

	setpgid(0, 666);

	srand((unsigned int) time(0));
	printf("client: now starting...\n");
	//open fifo
	if(fd = open(fifo, O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK) < 0)
		perror("client can't open fifo");
	else
		printf("client: fifo is now open for writing...\n");

	//send message
	for(i = 0; i <20; i++){
		rnum = randnum();
		sprintf(sent, "%d", rnum);
		if(strlen(sent) > BUF)
			printf("num too long\n");

		if(write(fd,  sent, BUF+1) == -1)
			perror("client can't write value to fifo");
		else
			printf("client: writing value %s...\n", sent);

	}
	printf("Client is finished sending the random values.\nExiting...\n");
	exit(0);


}

int randnum(){
	return   rand() % 101;
}

sorry, here's a sample of output

Code:

marko@l-190-048:~/source/ACM> s&
server: now starting...
make fifo failed, it may alredy exist: File exists
[1] 1681
marko@l-190-048:~/source/ACM> c
client: now starting...
client: fifo is now open for writing...
21?client: writing value 21...
97?client: writing value 97...
65?client: writing value 65...
77?client: writing value 77...
51?client: writing value 51...
62?client: writing value 62...
100client: writing value 100...
63client: writing value 63...
38client: writing value 38...
87client: writing value 87...
27client: writing value 27...
56client: writing value 56...
26client: writing value 26...
27client: writing value 27...
74client: writing value 74...
81client: writing value 81...
47client: writing value 47...
20client: writing value 20...
55client: writing value 55...
6client: writing value 6...
Client is finished sending the random values.
Exiting...
server: fifo is now open for reading...
   0 ->    0 - num =
   1 ->    0 - num =
   2 ->    0 - num =
   3 ->    0 - num =
   4 ->    0 - num =
   5 ->    0 - num =
   6 ->    0 - num =
   7 ->    0 - num =
   8 ->    0 - num =
   9 ->    0 - num =
  10 ->    0 - num =
  11 ->    0 - num =
  12 ->    0 - num =
  13 ->    0 - num =
  14 ->    0 - num =
  15 ->    0 - num =
  16 ->    0 - num =
  17 ->    0 - num =
  18 ->    0 - num =
  19 ->    0 - num =
  20 ->    0 - num =
  21 ->    0 - num =
  22 ->    0 - num =
  23 ->    0 - num =
  24 ->    0 - num =
  25 ->    0 - num =
  26 ->    0 - num =

thanks