NAME

       cfree - free allocated memory

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, unsigned num, unsigned size);

       /* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */
       void cfree(void *ptr, size_t nelem, size_t elsize);

   Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):

       cfree(): _BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE

DESCRIPTION

       This function should never be used.  Use free(3) instead.

   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 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.

CONFORMING TO

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

SEE ALSO

       malloc(3)

COLOPHON

       This page is part of release 3.54 of the Linux man-pages project.  A  description  of  the  project,  and
       information about reporting bugs, can be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

                                                   2007-07-26                                           CFREE(3)