Linux
2017-09-15
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Linux kernel and C library user-space interface documentation
NAME
clearenv - clear the environment
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>
int clearenv(void);
Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
clearenv():
/* Glibc since 2.19: */ _DEFAULT_SOURCE
|| /* Glibc versions <= 2.19: */ _SVID_SOURCE || _BSD_SOURCE
/* Glibc since 2.19: */ _DEFAULT_SOURCE
|| /* Glibc versions <= 2.19: */ _SVID_SOURCE || _BSD_SOURCE
DESCRIPTION
RETURN VALUE
The clearenv() function returns zero on success, and a nonzero value on failure.
VERSIONS
Available since glibc 2.0.
ATTRIBUTES
For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see attributes(7).
| Interface | Attribute | Value |
| Thread safety | MT-Unsafe const:env |
CONFORMING TO
Various UNIX variants (DG/UX, HP-UX, QNX, ...). POSIX.9 (bindings for FORTRAN77). POSIX.1-1996 did not accept clearenv() and putenv(3), but changed its mind and scheduled these functions for some later issue of this standard (see [sc]B.4.6.1). However, POSIX.1-2001 adds only putenv(3), and rejected clearenv().
NOTES
On systems where clearenv() is unavailable, the assignment
environ = NULL;
will probably do.
The clearenv() function may be useful in security-conscious applications that want to precisely control the environment that is passed to programs executed using exec(3). The application would do this by first clearing the environment and then adding select environment variables.
Note that the main effect of clearenv() is to adjust the value of the pointer environ(7); this function does not erase the contents of the buffers containing the environment definitions.
