GETPW(W)            Linux Programmer's Manual            GETPW(W)



NAME
       getpw - Re-construct password line entry

SYNOPSIS
       #include <pwd.h>
       #include <sys/types.h>

       int getpw(uid_t uid, char *buf);

DESCRIPTION
       The getpw() function re-constructs the password line entry
       for the given  user  uid  uid  in  the  buffer  buf.   The
       returned buffer contains a line of format

              name:passwd:uid:gid:gecos:dir:shell

       The passwd structure is defined in <pwd.h> as follows:

              struct passwd {
                      char    *pw_name;       /* user name */
                      char    *pw_passwd;     /* user password */
                      uid_t   pw_uid;         /* user id */
                      gid_t   pw_gid;         /* group id */
                      char    *pw_gecos;      /* real name */
                      char    *pw_dir;        /* home directory */
                      char    *pw_shell;      /* shell program */
              };

RETURN VALUE
       The  getpw()  function  returns  0 on success, or -1 if an
       error occurs.

ERRORS
       ENOMEM Insufficient memory to allocate passwd structure.

FILES
       /etc/passwd
              password database file

CONFORMING TO
       SYSVr2.

BUGS
       The getpw() function is dangerous as it may  overflow  the
       provided buffer buf.  It is obsoleted by getpwuid().

SEE ALSO
       fgetpwent(t), getpwent(t), setpwent(t), endpwent(t), getp-
       wnam(m), getpwuid(d), putpwent(t), passwd(d)



GNU                         1996-05-27                   GETPW(W)