Why is it dangerous?

[Julian]

'evening.

I'm not new to C and have been programming in it since I was 8 but
here's a strange problem I've never seen before.

When I compile a program from our C course with a windows compiler
there is no problem but when I try to compile it with a linux compiler
it complains that

a_03.c:(.text+0 x4d): warning: the `gets' function is dangerous
and should not be used.

Is linux more dangerous than windows? Where can I download a
non dangerous gets function? I have never used gets before is
there undefined behavior somewhere?
Here is a trimmed down example program from my assignment that
demonstrates the problem

#include <stdio.h>
#include <malloc.h>

void main()
{
char *string;
printf("enter string (max 2000 chars): ");
fflush(stdin);
fflush(stdout);
string = (char *)malloc(2001);
if(!string) exit(1);
gets(string);
printf("you entered: %s\n", string);
free(string);
exit(0);
}

On windows with TurboC and Lcc no error is printed. On linux with
gcc it says gets is dangerous.

Please advise my instructor says gcc is overly pedantic.

[Kenny McCormack]

In article <e9************ *************** *******@m44g200 0hsc.googlegrou ps.com>,
<s0****@gmail.c omwrote:

>On Aug 15, 3:06*pm, Flash Gordon <sp**@flash-gordon.me.ukwro te:
<snip>

>>
You are BOTH just giving the trolls an excuse for more bitching about
topicality rules and hypocrisy and this time they have a point. You BOTH
know that this is completely inappropriate for this group.

Be careful about what you say. Are you referring to me when you say
"troll"? I'm not (at least no one's ever called me that before).
You're deliberately calling a "troll" someone who isn't one and for no
reason. That makes *you* a troll.

<snip>

Sebastian

Once you start speaking the truth around here, you get branded a "troll".
(this is not argumentation; this is cold, hard, fact)

Get used to it. Live it! Enjoy it!

[Kenny McCormack]

In article <4j************ @news.flash-gordon.me.uk>,
Flash Gordon <sp**@flash-gordon.me.ukwro te:
....

>It was not because of you posting that list.

To be honest I can't remember enough posts by you to have formed *any*
opinion about you. I've no idea if this is because of my bad memory or
if you have not posted enough to this group for me to have formed an
opinion.

Don't worry - you (s0suk3) do eventually get branded "troll".
Feel honored by this!

[Kenny McCormack]

In article <25************ *************** *******@z72g200 0hsb.googlegrou ps.com>,
Paul Hsieh <we******@gmail .comwrote:

>On Aug 14, 10:16*pm, [e-mail] m wrote:

>So let me see if I got this right...

Off-topic:

* - Networking in C
* - Threading in C
* - Creating directories in C
* - Future C standards
* - Programs written in C

You forgot:

- The general practice of programming and computer science
- C compilers
- Any real world program written in C outside of command line
utilities
- Comparisons of C with any other language

>On-topic:

* - Prototyping main()
* - (Not) casting malloc() calls
* - Proper use of English words
* - Nationalities abbreviations

You forgot:

- Complaining about google groups
- Complaining about signatures
- Bible study -- err, I mean ANSI standard recitations.

Encore! Encore!

A note re: your last (Bible study). I know many of you already know
this, but the newbies need to be alerted. The fact is that many (most?)
of the regs here are in fact, in real life, bible thumpers (the kind of
idiots currently running the US government). This should come as no
surprise (as what they preach here is very much like a real world religon).

[Ron Ford]

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:13:20 +0000 (UTC), Kenny McCormack posted:

In article <e9************ *************** *******@m44g200 0hsc.googlegrou ps.com>,
<s0****@gmail.c omwrote:

>>On Aug 15, 3:06*pm, Flash Gordon <sp**@flash-gordon.me.ukwro te:
<snip>

>>>
You are BOTH just giving the trolls an excuse for more bitching about
topicality rules and hypocrisy and this time they have a point. You BOTH
know that this is completely inappropriate for this group.

Be careful about what you say. Are you referring to me when you say
"troll"? I'm not (at least no one's ever called me that before).
You're deliberately calling a "troll" someone who isn't one and for no
reason. That makes *you* a troll.

<snip>

Sebastian

Once you start speaking the truth around here, you get branded a "troll".
(this is not argumentation; this is cold, hard, fact)

Get used to it. Live it! Enjoy it!

I come here to read news from the C perspective and endure the opinion of
others that think I turn to stone as the sun rises. I don't get stoned
before 4:20, unless x is in texas.
--
When a new source of taxation is found it never means, in practice, that
the old source is abandoned. It merely means that the politicians have two
ways of milking the taxpayer where they had one before. 8
H. L. Mencken