GETPASS(3)                OpenBSD Programmer's Manual               GETPASS(3)

NAME
     getpass - get a password



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, as defined in the
     include file <pwd.h>) characters in length.  Any additional characters
     and the terminating newline character are discarded.

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

     The calling process should zero the password as soon as possible to avoid
     leaving the cleartext password visible in the process's address space.

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.

OpenBSD 2.6                      June 4, 1993                                1