getpass(3C)

NAME

     getpass, getpassphrase - read a string of characters without
     echo

SYNOPSIS

  Default
     #include <stdlib.h>

     char *getpass(const char *prompt);

     char *getpassphrase(const char *prompt);

  XPG4, SUS, SUSv2
     #include <unistd.h>

     char *getpass(const char *prompt);

DESCRIPTION

     The getpass() function opens the process's controlling  ter-
     minal,  writes  to  that  device  the null-terminated string
     prompt, disables echoing, reads a string of characters up to
     the  next  newline  character  or EOF, restores the terminal
     state and closes the terminal.

     The getpassphrase()  function  is  identical  to  getpass(),
     except that it reads and returns a string of up to 256 char-
     acters in length.

RETURN VALUES

     Upon successful completion, getpass() returns a pointer to a
     null-terminated  string  of at most PASS_MAX bytes that were
     read from the terminal device. If an error  is  encountered,
     the  terminal  state  is  restored  and  a  null  pointer is
     returned.

ERRORS

     The getpass() and  getpassphrase() functions may fail if:

     EINTR The function was interrupted by a signal.

     EIO   The process  is  a  member  of  a  background  process
           attempting  to read from its controlling terminal, the
           process is ignoring or blocking the SIGTTIN signal  or
           the process group is orphaned.

     EMFILE
           OPEN_MAX file descriptors are currently  open  in  the
           calling process.

     ENFILE
           The maximum allowable number  of  files  is  currently
           open in the system.

     ENXIO The process does not have a controlling terminal.

USAGE

     The return value points to static data whose content may  be
     overwritten by each call.

ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | MT-Level                    | Unsafe                      |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO

     attributes(5), standards(5)