explicit_bzero(3bsd)

🎀 explicit_bzero — the manual page, but make it slay 🎀

okay bestie, come sit with me 💖 this is explicit_bzero(3bsd), a lil function from the BSD world that is genuinely iconic and also extremely serious business. it's giving "I wipe your secrets and I mean it." no cap.

✨ NAME ✨

explicit_bzero — write zeroes to a byte string 🫶

📚 LIBRARY 📚

Utility functions from BSD systems — that's libbsd, and you link it with -lbsd. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <string.h>
(See libbsd(7) for include usage.)

void
explicit_bzero(void *buf, size_t len);

heads up bestie: peep libbsd(7) for the whole include-usage situation, because it's a whole thing. iykyk 🧚

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so like. the explicit_bzero() function writes len zero bytes into the string buf. that's it, that's the job, and she does it flawlessly. ✨

and if len is zero? then explicit_bzero() literally does nothing. zero bytes of zeroes. it's giving "girl, there was nothing to do." 💀

now here's the part that makes her main character energy: explicit_bzero() behaves the same as the bzero() function, BUT — and this is the whole point, fr fr — she will not be removed by a compiler's dead store optimization pass. 👑

which means she's useful for clearing sensitive memory such as a password. 🔐 because your compiler is out here like "hmm, nobody reads this memory afterward, let me just delete that line for you, you're welcome 🥰" and you're like NO. THAT WAS MY PASSWORD. 😭 explicit_bzero() says "not on my watch." periodt.

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• bzero(3)
• memset(3)
• swab(3)

go read those too, bestie, they're the supporting cast 🦋

⭐ HISTORY ⭐

the explicit_bzero() function first appeared in OpenBSD 5.5 and in glibc 2.25. a legend from day one, honestly. 🌈

and that's the whole page!! 🍓 this lil beauty came from the Debian crew and it's dated January 22, 2014 — and yeah, it's filed under explicit_bzero(3bsd) in the LOCAL section, so now you know exactly where to find her. 💜 stay safe out there, wipe your passwords, love u bye 🫶✨💅