curl_global_cleanup(3)

🌸 NAME 🌸

okay bestie, welcome to the curl_global_cleanup(3) page from the Library Functions Manual 💅 this one is all about global libcurl cleanup, and yes, it's as iconic as it sounds.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <curl/curl.h>

void curl_global_cleanup(void);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So here's the tea: this function releases resources acquired by curl_global_init(3). 🫶

You should call curl_global_cleanup(3) once for each call you make to curl_global_init(3), after you are done using libcurl. Literally one cleanup per init, no cap.

This function is thread-safe since libcurl 7.84.0 if curl_version_info(3) has the CURL_VERSION_THREADSAFE feature bit set (most platforms). 🎀

If this is not thread-safe, you must not call this function when any other thread in the program (i.e. a thread sharing the same memory) is running. And bestie, this does not just mean no other thread that is using libcurl. Because curl_global_cleanup(3) calls functions of other libraries that are similarly thread-unsafe, it could conflict with any other thread that uses these other libraries. 😭

See the description in libcurl(3) of global environment requirements for details of how to use this function.

🎀 CAUTION 🎀

okay, serious mode for a sec, because this part matters 💀

curl_global_cleanup(3) does not block waiting for any libcurl-created threads to terminate (such as threads used for name resolving). If a module containing libcurl is dynamically unloaded while libcurl-created threads are still running then your program may crash or other corruption may occur. We recommend you do not run libcurl from any module that may be unloaded dynamically. This behavior may be addressed in the future.

libcurl may not be able to fully clean up after multi-threaded OpenSSL depending on how OpenSSL was built and loaded as a library. It is possible in some rare circumstances a memory leak could occur unless you implement your own OpenSSL thread cleanup. Refer to libcurl-thread(3). 🧚

🌈 PROTOCOLS 🌈

This functionality affects all supported protocols. all of them. every single one. slay. ✨

💖 EXAMPLE 💖

int main(void)
{
  curl_global_init(CURL_GLOBAL_DEFAULT);

  /* use libcurl, then before exiting... */

  curl_global_cleanup();
}

🦋 AVAILABILITY 🦋

Added in curl 7.8. vintage but still main character energy. 👑

⭐ RETURN VALUE ⭐

None. that's it. no return value, no drama. 💅

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• curl_global_init(3)
• libcurl(3)
• libcurl-thread(3)

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Signed, sealed, and slayed by libcurl 💌 — source/version tea, page date 2026-10-12 — for curl_global_cleanup(3). periodt. 🎀