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From: lm@cottage.WISC.EDU (Larry McVoy)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Bug in library routine getenv()
Message-ID: <3569@spool.WISC.EDU>
Date: Tue, 12-May-87 14:03:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: spool.3569
Posted: Tue May 12 14:03:34 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 15-May-87 01:03:27 EDT
References: <3860@cae780.TEK.COM> <868@mimir.dmt.oz> <2494@ncoast.UUCP>
Sender: news@spool.WISC.EDU
Reply-To: lm@cottage.WISC.EDU (Larry McVoy)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 22

(Brandon Allbery) claims:
>| > I believe there is also a bug in the
>| > library routine strncpy -- it doesn't null terminate the string 
>>>  if the string
>| > to copy is really longer that "n" characters.
>
>I can see where he would get confised, though; System V documents it as
>*always* null-terminating the string.  No idea how V7 does it.  System III
>and Xenix don't say one way or the other.
>
>++Brando

I quote from the System V Interface Definition

"The function strncpy copies exactly n characters...  The result will not
 be null terminated if the length of s2 is n or more."

Brandon,  please don't spread ignorance.  I don't think you realize how many 
people are going to assume that you are right and then find out you were
wrong when their code bombs.  Check your facts or clause them.

Larry McVoy 	        lm@cottage.wisc.edu  or  uwvax!mcvoy