Problem using free() in a loop creating a linked list from a file - c

Question

So I have a file called file.txt and i want to create a linked list from the information it contains, where each line of the file is a new node. So far I have this:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
typedef struct sAirport{
char name;
int number;
struct sAirport *next;
}tAirport;
tAirport *createNode(tAirport *newNode, char str[1000]);
void createLinkedList(tAirport **head, tAiport *newNode);
int main()
{
FILE *fa = fopen("test.txt", r);
char str[1000] = {0};
tAirport *head = NULL;
tAirport *newNode = NULL;
while(fgets(str, sizeof(str), fa) != NULL)
{
newNode = createNode(newNode, str);
createLinkedList(&head, newNode);
free(newNode);
newNode = NULL;
}
return 0;
}
tAirport *createNode(tAirport *newNode, char str[1000])
{
char *aux = NULL;
newNode = malloc(sizeof(tAirport));
if(newNode == NULL)
exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
aux = strtok(str, " ");
strcpy(&newNode->name, aux);
aux = strtok(NULL, " ");
sscanf(aux, "%d", &newNode->number);
newNode->next = NULL;
return newNode;
}
void createLinkedList(tAirport **head, tAirport newNode)
{
tAirport *temp = NULL;
if(*head == NULL)
{
*head = newNode;
return;
}
temp = *head;
while(temp->next != NULL)
temp = temp->next;
temp->next = newNode;
}
I'm getting weird results and Valgrind says I have lost bytes but I don't know what to do.
Edited so that it can run.
For example the file I'm testing with is:
John 33
Mary 42
Peter 12
What should I do?

Answer 1

Aside from all those warning you will get from compiling this. I just want to tell you that you are misunderstanding how malloc(),free(), and pointer work.
First of all, pointer is just an unsigned long, a natural number just like any other number. The difference is that the pointer store the address of the real memory ( in this case is newNode).
In your program, you malloc() to get your memory, asisgn the memory address to newNode, then you tell your list to hold newNode, finally you free it. So you just free the memory you wish to keep, your list now only hold a bunch of address to freed memory.
Solution for this is, get rid of free() while populating your list, and free them later

Answer 2

The sAirport structure is define the name to be one character. However, from the code, looks like the createNode will allow long name (up to 999 characters). When the createNode create the new entry, the strcpy will overwrite data beyond the allocated space, and will likely cause segmentation fault, or "funny" data.
Consider extending name to the proper size, or using dynamic allocation (malloc) for name.