Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, deroff is the illumos deroff at /usr/bin/deroff. Its options are -m, -w and -i only. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages also document -k and -p, and accept more -m macro-package letters (a, e, l, m, s).

The manual pages

Solnix: deroff(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
OpenBSD: deroff(1) 8.0
NetBSD: deroff(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos deroff at /usr/bin/deroff, published in pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man. No other variants are shipped. The bundle contains no Linux deroff page, so nothing is claimed about Linux.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-m` macro package letters	Solnix documents `-m` followed by m, s or l only. OpenBSD and NetBSD also accept a (man macros) and e (me macros). The Solnix page does not say how man or me macro files are handled. Source: Solnix deroff(1) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS -m; OpenBSD deroff(1) -m; NetBSD deroff(1) -m
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-m` argument optional or required	The Solnix synopsis shows the `-m` argument as optional: [`-m` [m \| s \| l]]. OpenBSD and NetBSD synopses write `-m` a \| e \| l \| m \| s with no brackets around the letter, so the argument is not shown as optional. Source: Solnix deroff(1) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD deroff(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD deroff(1) SYNOPSIS
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-m` l meaning	On Solnix, `-ml` forces `-mm` and also deletes mm lists. On OpenBSD and NetBSD, l is listed as its own argument that removes list constructs. Neither BSD page says that l implies mm. Source: Solnix deroff(1) OPTIONS -m; OpenBSD deroff(1) -m l; NetBSD deroff(1) -m l
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-k` missing on Solnix	Solnix deroff has no `-k`. On OpenBSD and NetBSD, `-k` keeps blocks of text intact, and that is the default unless `-m` is given. A script using `-k` fails on Solnix. Source: Solnix deroff(1) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD deroff(1) -k; NetBSD deroff(1) -k
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-p` missing on Solnix	Solnix deroff has no `-p`. On OpenBSD and NetBSD, `-p` preserves paragraph macros and only has an effect together with `-m`. Source: Solnix deroff(1) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD deroff(1) -p; NetBSD deroff(1) -p
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-w` word definition	Solnix counts a word as at least two letters made of letters, digits, & and ', and strips trailing ' and &. OpenBSD and NetBSD define a word as letters, digits and apostrophes beginning with a letter, with apostrophes removed. Word lists can differ. Source: Solnix deroff(1) OPTIONS -w; OpenBSD deroff(1) -w; NetBSD deroff(1) -w
OpenBSD, NetBSD	pic pictures	OpenBSD and NetBSD state that deroff removes pic pictures. The Solnix page lists troff requests, macro calls, backslash constructs, eqn and tbl constructs, and does not mention pic. Source: Solnix deroff(1) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD deroff(1) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD deroff(1) DESCRIPTION
OpenBSD, NetBSD	same `-i` and known limits	`-i` (ignore .so and .nx) and the handling of repeated includes read the same on all three. All three pages warn that deroff is not a complete troff interpreter, usually errs by printing too much, and mishandles nested lists with `-ml`. Source: Solnix deroff(1) -i, NOTES; OpenBSD deroff(1) -i, BUGS; NetBSD deroff(1) -i, BUGS

Standards

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

Writing portable scripts

Stick to deroff -w, -i and plain -mm, -ms or -ml with input files. Avoid -k and -p, which Solnix lacks, and -ma or -me, which the Solnix page does not document.
Do not compare -w word lists across systems byte for byte: the definition of a word differs between Solnix and the BSDs.

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.