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 * .num], unsigned int num, unsigned int size);
/* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */
void cfree(void ptr[.elsize * .nelem], size_t nelem, size_t elsize);
Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
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 com-
patibility 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 allo-
cated 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 num 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
malloc(3)
Linux man-pages 6.9.1 2024-05-02 cfree(3)
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