Re: segfault with linux

From: <doug_at_umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 17:31:04 -0500

        
        What your describing is incorrect programming, but it will work
        correctly in most implementations of malloc/free. Freeing generally
        just puts the freed memory on a 'free list', but does not actually
        write over the memory; this would typically happen after a subsequent
        malloc.

in point of fact, until relatively recently, it was an advertised
"feature" that free'd memory was guaranteed to remain viable until
subsequent calls to malloc().

one man's incorrect programming is another man's heinous backward
compatibility burden :)

        -Doug
Received on Mon Dec 19 1994 - 23:32:20 CET