GETPASS(3)                  BSD 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) characters in
     length.  Any additional characters and the terminating newline character
     are discarded.

     Getpass turns off character echoing while reading the password.

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 modi-
     fy 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.

BSDI BSD/386                    March 26, 1993                               1