PRINTF
Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (3)
Updated: 29 November 1993
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NAME
getpass - get a password
SYNOPSIS
#include <pwd.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 character
are discarded. (This may be different in Linux.)
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)
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.
The calling process should zero the password as soon as possible to avoid
leaving the cleartext password visible in the process's address space.
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- RETURN VALUES
-
- FILES
-
- SEE ALSO
-
- HISTORY
-
- BUGS
-
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