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)

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.

     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 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.

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

BSD
								   June 4, 1993 							       BSD