cfree(3) - f37

1CFREE(3)                   Linux Programmer's Manual                  CFREE(3)
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NAME

6       cfree - free allocated memory
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SYNOPSIS

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 int num, unsigned int 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():
26           Since glibc 2.19:
27               _DEFAULT_SOURCE
28           Glibc 2.19 and earlier:
29               _BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE
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DESCRIPTION

32       This  function  should  never  be used.  Use free(3) instead.  Starting
33       with version 2.26, it has been removed from glibc.
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35   1-arg cfree
36       In glibc, the function cfree() is a synonym  for  free(3),  "added  for
37       compatibility with SunOS".
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39       Other  systems have other functions with this name.  The declaration is
40       sometimes in <stdlib.h> and sometimes in <malloc.h>.
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42   3-arg cfree
43       Some SCO and Solaris versions have malloc libraries with  a  3-argument
44       cfree(), apparently as an analog to calloc(3).
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46       If you need it while porting something, add
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48           #define cfree(p, n, s) free((p))
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50       to your file.
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52       A  frequently asked question is "Can I use free(3) to free memory allo‐
53       cated with calloc(3), or do I need cfree()?"  Answer: use free(3).
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55       An SCO manual writes: "The cfree routine is provided for compliance  to
56       the  iBCSe2 standard and simply calls free.  The num and size arguments
57       to cfree are not used."
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RETURN VALUE

60       The SunOS version of cfree() (which is a synonym for free(3)) returns 1
61       on success and 0 on failure.  In case of error, errno is set to EINVAL:
62       the value of ptr was not a pointer to a block previously  allocated  by
63       one of the routines in the malloc(3) family.
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VERSIONS

66       The cfree() function was removed from glibc in version 2.26.
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ATTRIBUTES

69       For  an  explanation  of  the  terms  used  in  this  section,  see at‐
70       tributes(7).
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72       ┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────┬────────────────────────┐
73       │Interface                    │ Attribute     │ Value                  │
74       ├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────┼────────────────────────┤
75       │cfree()                      │ Thread safety │ MT-Safe /* In glibc */ │
76       └─────────────────────────────┴───────────────┴────────────────────────┘
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CONFORMING TO

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

86       This  page  is  part of release 5.13 of the Linux man-pages project.  A
87       description of the project, information about reporting bugs,  and  the
88       latest     version     of     this    page,    can    be    found    at
89       https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
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93                                  2021-03-22                          CFREE(3)