table of contents
| cfree(3) | Library Functions Manual | cfree(3) |
NAME¶
cfree - free allocated memory
LIBRARY¶
Standard C library (libc, -lc)
SYNOPSIS¶
#include <stdlib.h>
/* In SunOS 4 */ int cfree(void *ptr);
/* In glibc or FreeBSD libcompat */ void cfree(void *ptr);
/* In SCO OpenServer */ void cfree(char ptr[.size * .n], unsigned int n, unsigned int size);
/* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */ void cfree(void ptr[.size * .n], size_t n, size_t size);
cfree():
Since glibc 2.19:
_DEFAULT_SOURCE
glibc 2.19 and earlier:
_BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE
DESCRIPTION¶
This function should never be used. Use free(3) instead. Starting with glibc 2.26, it has been removed from glibc.
1-arg cfree¶
In glibc, the function cfree() is a synonym for free(3), "added for compatibility with SunOS".
Other systems have other functions with this name. The declaration is sometimes in <stdlib.h> and sometimes in <malloc.h>.
3-arg cfree¶
Some SCO and Solaris versions have malloc libraries with a 3-argument cfree(), apparently as an analog to calloc(3).
If you need it while porting something, add
#define cfree(p, n, s) free((p))
to your file.
A frequently asked question is "Can I use free(3) to free memory allocated with calloc(3), or do I need cfree()?" Answer: use free(3).
An SCO manual writes: "The cfree routine is provided for compliance to the iBCSe2 standard and simply calls free. The n and size arguments to cfree are not used."
RETURN VALUE¶
The SunOS version of cfree() (which is a synonym for free(3)) returns 1 on success and 0 on failure. In case of error, errno is set to EINVAL: the value of ptr was not a pointer to a block previously allocated by one of the routines in the malloc(3) family.
ATTRIBUTES¶
For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see attributes(7).
| Interface | Attribute | Value |
| cfree () | Thread safety | MT-Safe /* In glibc */ |
VERSIONS¶
The 3-argument version of cfree() as used by SCO conforms to the iBCSe2 standard: Intel386 Binary Compatibility Specification, Edition 2.
STANDARDS¶
None.
HISTORY¶
Removed in glibc 2.26.
SEE ALSO¶
| 2024-11-17 | Linux man-pages (unreleased) |