1CFREE(3)                   Linux Programmer's Manual                  CFREE(3)
2
3
4

NAME

6       cfree - free allocated memory
7

SYNOPSIS

9       #include <stdlib.h>
10
11       /* In SunOS 4 */
12       int cfree(void *ptr);
13
14       /* In glibc or FreeBSD libcompat */
15       void cfree(void *ptr);
16
17       /* In SCO OpenServer */
18       void cfree(char *ptr, unsigned num, unsigned size);
19
20       /* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */
21       void cfree(void *ptr, size_t nelem, size_t elsize);
22
23   Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
24
25       cfree(): _BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE
26

DESCRIPTION

28       This function should never be used.  Use free(3) instead.
29
30   1-arg cfree
31       In  glibc,  the  function  cfree() is a synonym for free(3), "added for
32       compatibility with SunOS".
33
34       Other systems have other functions with this name.  The declaration  is
35       sometimes in <stdlib.h> and sometimes in <malloc.h>.
36
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).
40
41       If you need it while porting something, add
42
43           #define cfree(p, n, s) free((p))
44
45       to your file.
46
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).
49
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."
53

RETURN VALUE

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.
59

CONFORMING TO

61       The 3-argument version of cfree() as used by SCO conforms to the iBCSe2
62       standard: Intel386 Binary Compatibility Specification, Edition 2.
63

SEE ALSO

65       malloc(3)
66

COLOPHON

68       This  page  is  part of release 3.25 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/.
71
72
73
74                                  2007-07-26                          CFREE(3)