libc_freeres_ptr question

[Benjamin A. Collins]

I was looking through some of the nsswitch code, and in getXXent.c:66
I saw the following lines:

/* This points to the static buffer used.  */ 
libc_freeres_ptr (static char *buffer);

The macro definition for my system (libc-symbols.h:249)

#  define libc_freeres_ptr(decl) \
  __make_section_unallocated ("__libc_freeres_ptrs, \"aw\", @nobits") \
  decl __attribute__ ((section ("__libc_freeres_ptrs" __sec_comment)))


and the def for __make section_unallocated (libc-symbol.h:228)

#   define __make_section_unallocated(section_string)   \
  asm (".section " section_string "\n\t.previous");


why is it done this way?  

please cc me because I'm not subscribed to the list. Please forgive
me, I didn't know where else to ask.

bc
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    |   Benjamin A. Collins <address@hidden>   |
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