+int global_option_set (const char *option, const char *value);
+const char *global_option_get (const char *option);
+
+/* Assures the config option is a string, duplicates it and returns the copy in
+ * "ret_string". If necessary "*ret_string" is freed first. Returns zero upon
+ * success. */
+int cf_util_get_string (const oconfig_item_t *ci, char **ret_string);
+