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GETPASS(3)

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NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     getpass - get a password

LIBRARY    [Toc]    [Back]

     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     #include <pwd.h>
     #include <unistd.h>

     char *
     getpass(const char *prompt);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     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.

     getpass turns off character echoing while reading the password.

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

     getpass returns a pointer to the null terminated password.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /dev/tty

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

      
      
     crypt(3)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     A getpass function appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     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    [Toc]    [Back]

     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                              June 4, 1993                              BSD
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