getpass(3) [ultrix man page]
getpass(3) Library Functions Manual getpass(3) Name getpass - read a password Syntax char *getpass(prompt) char *prompt; Description The subroutine reads a password from the file or if that cannot be opened, from the standard input, after prompting with the null-termi- nated string prompt and disabling echoing. The subroutine can return up to characters. is defined in A pointer is returned to a null-ter- minated string of at most 16 characters. Environment When your program is compiled using the System V environment, if the file cannot be opened, a NULL pointer is returned. An interrupt will terminate input and send an interrupt signal to the calling process before returning. Restrictions The return value points to static data whose content is overwritten by each call. Files See Also getpass(3)
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GETPASS(3) BSD Library Functions Manual GETPASS(3) NAME
getpass -- get a password LIBRARY
Standard C Library (libc, -lc) SYNOPSIS
#include <pwd.h> #include <unistd.h> char * getpass(const char *prompt); DESCRIPTION
The getpass() function displays a prompt to, and reads in a password from, /dev/tty. If this file is not accessible, getpass() displays the prompt on the standard error output and reads from the standard input. The password may be up to _PASSWORD_LEN (currently 128) characters in length. Any additional characters and the terminating newline charac- ter are discarded. getpass() turns off character echoing while reading the password. RETURN VALUES
getpass() returns a pointer to the null terminated password. FILES
/dev/tty SEE ALSO
crypt(3) STANDARDS
The getpass() function appeared in Version 2 of the Single UNIX Specification (``SUSv2''), but it was already marked as legacy. The function was removed in the IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (``POSIX.1'') standard. HISTORY
A getpass() function appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX. BUGS
The getpass() function leaves its result in an internal static object and returns a pointer to that object. Subsequent calls to getpass() will modify the same object. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
The calling process should zero the password as soon as possible to avoid leaving the cleartext password visible in the process's address space. BSD
May 6, 2010 BSD