Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`ar(1)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos ar at /usr/bin/ar, not the GNU ar that pkgs.solnix.binutils publishes. The illumos ar uses dash options (-r, -q, -x) and has no GNU long options, thin archives or -M. FreeBSD's ar page is llvm-ar, which writes deterministic archives by default.

The manual pages

Solnix: ar(1) from pkgs.solnix.binutils
Linux: ar(1) binutils-2.46
FreeBSD: ar(1) 15.1-RELEASE
Standard: POSIX.1-2024 (IEEE Std 1003.1-2024), ar

What Solnix runs

The published page is GNU ar from pkgs.solnix.binutils, with GNU long options (--plugin, --target, --output, --record-libdeps, --thin), -X32_64 and modifier syntax like `ar rcs`. The command on PATH is the illumos /usr/bin/ar. /usr/xpg4/bin/ar is also shipped. It differs in three ways: -v writes no message to standard error when writing to an archive, its -q takes only -c, -v and -V, and it has no -s operation form. Only the published GNU page and the illumos page are described here. The bundle text is trimmed, so some xpg4 details are not shown.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	same program as the published page, different from PATH	The published Solnix page is the same GNU ar text as Linux (same SYNOPSIS and operations). The illumos ar on PATH is a different program, so Linux GNU ar scripts that use GNU-only features can fail on a default Solnix system. Source: Solnix ar(1) published SYNOPSIS; Linux ar(1) SYNOPSIS; illumos ar(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	option syntax	illumos `/usr/bin/ar` takes the operation as a dash option (ar `-r`, ar `-q`, ar `-x`) with separate option letters. GNU ar takes a keyletter with modifiers in the first argument, optionally with a leading dash, and mixes them in any order (ar rcs). Source: illumos ar(1) SYNOPSIS; Solnix (GNU) ar(1) OPTIONS first paragraphs
Linux	GNU long options and thin archives	The illumos ar page documents no `--plugin`, `--target`, `--output`, `--record-libdeps` or `--thin`, no `-M` MRI script mode and no `-X32_64`. GNU ar documents all of these. Thin archives and `--output` extraction are not available from `/usr/bin/ar` on the evidence of its page. Source: illumos ar(1) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS; Solnix (GNU) ar(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION (thin archive, -M)
Linux	symbol table with `-s`	illumos ar `-s` forces regeneration of the symbol table and is a standalone form (ar `-s` archive). It is meant for restoring the table after strip(1). In GNU ar, s is a keyletter or modifier that adds or updates the index; GNU also rebuilds the table on a quick append. Source: illumos ar(1) -s, SYNOPSIS; Solnix (GNU) ar(1) s, q
Linux	`-u` meaning	The illumos page says `-u` with `-r` replaces a file only if its modification time is at least as new as the member's. The same page's `-r` text says only files later than the archive files are replaced. The page contradicts itself; the GNU u text is not shown in the bundle. Source: illumos ar(1) -r, -u
Linux, FreeBSD	extracting long names: `-T` and `-C`	illumos ar `-x` has `-T` (truncate names too long for the file system; otherwise it is an error and the file is not extracted) and `-C` (do not overwrite existing files). The Linux and FreeBSD pages in the bundle show no `-T` or `-C` modifier for extraction. In llvm-ar, T applies to d, q and r, not x. Source: illumos ar(1) -T, -C; FreeBSD ar(1) Operations (d [NT], q [LT], r [abTu], x [oP])
FreeBSD	FreeBSD ar is llvm-ar	The FreeBSD 15.1 ar(1) page documents llvm-ar. Its synopsis is llvm-ar [-]{dmpqrstx}[abcDilLNoOPsSTuUvV] and it supports the `--format` option. illumos ar documents no `--format` option. Source: FreeBSD ar(1) NAME, SYNOPSIS; illumos ar(1) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	deterministic archives by default	llvm-ar writes zero timestamps and UIDs/GIDs by default (as if D were set). Pass U to store real values. The illumos page states no such default and preserves file dates for `-u` comparisons, so archives from the two differ. Source: FreeBSD ar(1) Deterministic Archives; illumos ar(1) -u, -r
FreeBSD	unsupported and ignored modifiers	llvm-ar does not support the f modifier (truncate inserted filenames) and ignores l and `--plugin`. It also uses the L modifier for appending archive members, which is not in the illumos page. Source: FreeBSD ar(1) DESCRIPTION (departs from previous ar implementations), q [LT]
FreeBSD	archive formats	llvm-ar reads SVR4, GNU, BSD, Big Archive and Darwin formats and writes GNU, BSD, Big Archive and Darwin styles. The illumos page describes only the portable format in ar.h(3HEAD). Source: FreeBSD ar(1) DESCRIPTION; illumos ar(1) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	`-v` and `-V`	On illumos `/usr/bin/ar`, `-V` prints the version on standard error. In llvm-ar, V is a synonym for `--version`. The xpg4 ar `-v` writes no message to standard error when writing an archive. Source: illumos ar(1) -V, -v and /usr/xpg4/bin/ar -v; FreeBSD ar(1) Operations (V)
OpenBSD, NetBSD	no OpenBSD or NetBSD page in the bundle	The bundle holds no OpenBSD or NetBSD ar(1) page, so no difference against those systems can be stated. Source: bundle header COUNTERPART lines (linux, freebsd only)

Standards

POSIX: ar is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: The standards text of the illumos ar page is not in the trimmed bundle. A separate /usr/xpg4/bin/ar is shipped.

Writing portable scripts

Use only the dash forms common to POSIX: ar -r, ar -q, ar -d, ar -t, ar -x, ar -p. Avoid GNU long options, thin archives and -M.
Do not rely on archive timestamps or UIDs being preserved or zeroed: llvm-ar zeros them by default and GNU ar keeps them. Run ranlib or ar -s after strip(1) if you need a symbol table.

Every difference here is taken from the manual pages linked above: Solnix's published page, Linux (man-pages and the GNU and util-linux manuals), FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. Each row names its source. Where a manual is silent, this page is too. Compiled 2026-10-26. Found a mistake? Mail hackers@lists.solnix.io.