.\"
.TH GETPT 3 2020-02-09 "GNU" "Linux Programmer's Manual"
.SH NAME
-getpt \- open the pseudoterminal master
+getpt \- open a new pseudoterminal master
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.BR "#define _GNU_SOURCE" " /* See feature_test_macros(7) */"
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
.BR getpt ()
-opens a pseudoterminal master and returns its file descriptor.
+opens a new pseudoterminal device and returns a file descriptor
+that refers to that device.
It is equivalent to
.PP
.in +4n
.in
.PP
on Linux systems, though the pseudoterminal master is located
-elsewhere on some systems that use GNU Libc.
+elsewhere on some systems that use the GNU C library.
.SH RETURN VALUE
.BR getpt ()
returns an open file descriptor upon successful completion.