Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`automountd(8)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, automountd is the illumos autofs daemon, run by SMF as svc:/system/filesystem/autofs and started by automount(8) when needed. Its flags differ from the FreeBSD and NetBSD automountd: -v logs to the console, -T traces RPC calls, and there is no -d, -i, -m or -o.

The manual pages

Solnix: automountd(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
FreeBSD: automountd(8) 15.1-RELEASE
NetBSD: automountd(8) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos automountd. It is not in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or /sbin; daemons live under /usr/lib. No other variants are shipped. Manage it with svcadm(8) and query it with svcs(1) on svc:/system/filesystem/autofs.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-d` debug / no-daemonize	FreeBSD and NetBSD have `-d`, which raises verbosity and keeps automountd in the foreground. Solnix automountd has no `-d`. Its manual does not document a foreground mode. Source: FreeBSD automountd(8) -d; NetBSD automountd(8) -d; Solnix automountd(8) SYNOPSIS
NetBSD	`-T` meaning	Solnix `-T` traces each RPC call to standard output. On NetBSD, `-T` only increases verbosity, for compatibility with OS X. Source: Solnix automountd(8) -T; NetBSD automountd(8) -T
FreeBSD	`-T` missing on FreeBSD	Solnix has `-T` (RPC trace). FreeBSD automountd has no `-T`. Source: Solnix automountd(8) -T; FreeBSD automountd(8) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-v` meaning	Solnix `-v` logs status messages to the console. On FreeBSD and NetBSD, `-v` increases verbosity. The manuals do not say where the output goes. Source: Solnix automountd(8) -v; FreeBSD automountd(8) -v; NetBSD automountd(8) -v
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-i`, `-m` and `-o` missing	Solnix has no `-i` (skip subdirectory creation when wildcards exist), `-m` maxproc (limit parallel mount processes, default 30) or `-o` options (default mount options). A script passing these to automountd fails on Solnix. Source: FreeBSD automountd(8) -i, -m, -o; NetBSD automountd(8) -i, -m, -o; Solnix automountd(8) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-n` browsing	Solnix `-n` turns off browsing for all autofs mount points and overrides the `-browse` map option on the local host. FreeBSD and NetBSD have no `-n`. Source: Solnix automountd(8) -n; FreeBSD automountd(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD automountd(8) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-D` scope	All three accept `-D` name=value to define a map variable. Only the Solnix page says the assignments cannot substitute variables in the master map auto_master. Source: Solnix automountd(8) -D; FreeBSD automountd(8) -D; NetBSD automountd(8) -D
FreeBSD, NetBSD	service model	On Solnix, SMF manages automountd as svc:/system/filesystem/autofs. automount(8) enables it if disabled, unless application/auto_enable is false. It also enables the nlockmgr and status services if NFS mounts are needed. The BSD pages describe a daemon that forks into the background and a child per request. Source: Solnix automountd(8) NOTES, DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD automountd(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD automountd(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD, NetBSD	exit status	FreeBSD and NetBSD document exit 0 on success and >0 on error. The Solnix page has no EXIT STATUS section. Source: FreeBSD automountd(8) EXIT STATUS; NetBSD automountd(8) EXIT STATUS; Solnix automountd(8)
Linux, OpenBSD	no counterpart	The bundle has no automountd page for Linux or OpenBSD, so no comparison is made. Source: Bundle header: counterparts are FreeBSD and NetBSD only

Standards

POSIX: automountd is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

Do not call automountd directly in portable scripts. Solnix uses svcadm on svc:/system/filesystem/autofs, and the BSD flags (-d, -i, -m, -o) do not exist on Solnix.
Only -D name=value is common to all three automountd manuals.

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.