tail head cat sleep
QR code linking to this page

Manual Pages  — GETPASS

NAME

getpass – get a password

CONTENTS

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 character are discarded.

The getpass() function turns off character echoing while reading the password.

RETURN VALUES

The getpass() function returns a pointer to the null terminated password.

FILES

/dev/tty
 

SEE ALSO

crypt(3), readpassphrase(3)

HISTORY

A getpass() function appeared in AT&T v7 .

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.

Upon receipt of a SIGTSTP, the input buffer will be flushed, so any partially typed password must be retyped when the process continues.


GETPASS (3) June 4, 1993

tail head cat sleep
QR code linking to this page


Please direct any comments about this manual page service to Ben Bullock. Privacy policy.

Unix is a junk OS designed by a committee of PhDs.
— Dave Cutler