getpass - get a password
Standard C Library (libc, -lc)
#include <pwd.h>
#include <unistd.h>
char *
getpass(const char *prompt);
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.
getpass returns a pointer to the null terminated password.
/dev/tty
crypt(3)
A getpass function appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.
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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