1CFREE(3) Linux Programmer's Manual CFREE(3)
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6 cfree - free allocated memory
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9 #include <stdlib.h>
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11 /* In SunOS 4 */
12 int cfree(void *ptr);
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14 /* In glibc or FreeBSD libcompat */
15 void cfree(void *ptr);
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17 /* In SCO OpenServer */
18 void cfree(char *ptr, unsigned num, unsigned size);
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20 /* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */
21 void cfree(void *ptr, size_t nelem, size_t elsize);
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23 Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
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25 cfree(): _BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE
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28 This function should never be used. Use free(3) instead.
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30 1-arg cfree
31 In glibc, the function cfree() is a synonym for free(3), "added for
32 compatibility with SunOS".
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34 Other systems have other functions with this name. The declaration is
35 sometimes in <stdlib.h> and sometimes in <malloc.h>.
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37 3-arg cfree
38 Some SCO and Solaris versions have malloc libraries with a 3-argument
39 cfree(), apparently as an analog to calloc(3).
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41 If you need it while porting something, add
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43 #define cfree(p, n, s) free((p))
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45 to your file.
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47 A frequently asked question is "Can I use free(3) to free memory allo‐
48 cated with calloc(3), or do I need cfree()?" Answer: use free(3).
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50 An SCO manual writes: "The cfree routine is provided for compliance to
51 the iBCSe2 standard and simply calls free. The num and size arguments
52 to cfree are not used."
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55 The SunOS version of cfree() (which is a synonym for free(3)) returns 1
56 on success and 0 on failure. In case of error, errno is set to EINVAL:
57 the value of ptr was not a pointer to a block previously allocated by
58 one of the routines in the malloc(3) family.
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61 The 3-argument version of cfree() as used by SCO conforms to the iBCSe2
62 standard: Intel386 Binary Compatibility Specification, Edition 2.
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65 malloc(3)
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68 This page is part of release 3.53 of the Linux man-pages project. A
69 description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can
70 be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
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74 2007-07-26 CFREE(3)