[Bug-gnulib] Re: HP-UX 11 limits password length to 8 characters

[Derek Robert Price]

Ditchfield, Glen wrote:

> HP-UX 11 has a getpass() function that returns "a null-terminated string of
> at most 8 characters", according to the man page.  It doesn't have a
> getpassphrase() function.
>
> I need to use CVS on HP to reach a CVSNT server in a domain where shortening
> passwords isn't really an option.  I added the attached file to the lib
> directory of CVS 1.11.6 and modified Makefile's am_libcvs_a_OBJECTS, and it
> seems to work...
>
> <<getpass.c>> 
>  

I'd like to import the getpass.c from GNULIB, but it seems to only be 
compiled when no getpass() function is found on the system at all, which 
I do not think would meet your needs.  I also note that my man pages 
declare getpass() to be obsolete as of POSIX.2, though they do not 
suggest an alternative.

I'm cc'ing the GNULIB list in hopes that they will have suggestions 
where to go with this.  Do you guys know what is the official GNU 
replacement for getpass()?  Also, if the official replacement is 
satisfactory, why is getpass still a GNULIB module?  If the official 
replacement for getpass() is not satisfactory, would it make sense to 
write an autoconf test which tests for the number of characters 
getpass() accepts and does anybody have any idea how to go about faking 
getpass() out since it makes such an effort to retreive only /dev/tty?  
I guess I could write a test for the PASS_MAX constant that appears to 
be defined in <limits.h> as part of SUSv2, then compile getpass.c when 
it was deemed too small.  Any thoughts?

Derek

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