BN_new(3)BN_new(3)NAME
BN_new, BN_init, BN_clear, BN_free, BN_clear_free - Allocate and free
BIGNUMs
SYNOPSIS
#include <openssl/bn.h>
BIGNUM *BN_new(
void ); void BN_init(
BIGNUM * ); void BN_clear(
BIGNUM *a ); void BN_free(
BIGNUM *a ); void BN_clear_free(
BIGNUM *a );
DESCRIPTION
The BN_new() function allocates and initializes a BIGNUM structure. The
BN_init() function initializes an existing uninitialized BIGNUM.
The BN_clear() function is used to destroy sensitive data such as keys
when they are no longer needed. It erases the memory used by a and sets
it to the value 0.
The BN_free() function frees the components of the BIGNUM, and if it
was created by BN_new(), also the structure itself. The BN_clear_free()
function overwrites the data before the memory is returned to the sys‐
tem.
RETURN VALUES
The BN_new() function returns a pointer to the BIGNUM. If the alloca‐
tion fails, it returns NULL and sets an error code that can be obtained
by using ERR_get_error().
The BN_init(), BN_clear(), BN_free(), and BN_clear_free() functions
have no return values.
HISTORY
The BN_new(), BN_clear(), BN_free(), and BN_clear_free() functions are
available in all versions on SSLeay and OpenSSL. The BN_init() func‐
tion was added in SSLeay 0.9.1b.
SEE ALSO
Functions: bn(3), err(3)BN_new(3)