Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, hostname is the illumos /usr/bin/hostname, which prints or sets the host name and has one option, -s. It lacks the Linux net-tools options (-f, -d, -i, -F and others) and the FreeBSD -f and -d options.

The manual pages

Solnix: hostname(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: hostname(1) net-tools-2.10
FreeBSD: hostname(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: hostname(1) 8.0
NetBSD: hostname(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos hostname at /usr/bin/hostname. /usr/ucb/hostname is also shipped, but the bundle does not describe it. The Solnix page says nothing about boot-time configuration files.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	`-f`, `--fqdn`, `--long`	Linux hostname `-f` prints the FQDN. Solnix hostname has no `-f`. It accepts only `-s` and a name argument. Source: Linux hostname(1) -f, --fqdn, --long; Solnix hostname(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	`-d`, `-i`, `-a` and `-y`	Linux hostname has `-d` (DNS domain), `-i` (IP addresses), `-a` (alias), and `-y`/-`-nis` (NIS domain). Solnix hostname has none of these. Scripts using them fail on Solnix. Source: Linux hostname(1) -d, -i, -a, -y; Solnix hostname(1) OPTIONS
Linux	setting from a file	Linux hostname `-F` filename reads the new host name from a file and ignores lines starting with #. Solnix hostname has no `-F`. The new name must be given as an argument. Source: Linux hostname(1) -F, --file; Solnix hostname(1) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	`-f` and `-d`	FreeBSD hostname `-f` includes domain information and is the default. `-d` prints only the domain part. Solnix has neither, and the manual does not say whether its default output includes the domain. Source: FreeBSD hostname(1) -f, -d; Solnix hostname(1) DESCRIPTION, OPTIONS
all four	`-s` short name	Solnix `-s` prints only the part before the first dot. Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD document `-s` as trimming or cutting the domain part, so it is the portable option. Linux also accepts `--short`. Source: Solnix hostname(1) -s; Linux hostname(1) -s, --short; FreeBSD hostname(1) -s; OpenBSD hostname(1) -s; NetBSD hostname(1) -s
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	where the boot-time name comes from	FreeBSD sets the name from the hostname variable in `/etc/rc.conf` through `/etc/rc.d/hostname.` OpenBSD reads a myname(5) file. NetBSD uses `/etc/rc.d/network.` The Solnix page names no boot-time file, so setting the name by hand may not persist. Source: FreeBSD hostname(1) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD hostname(1) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD hostname(1) DESCRIPTION; Solnix hostname(1) DESCRIPTION
Linux	boot-time file	The Linux page says the host name is usually set at startup from a file such as `/etc/hostname.` The Solnix page does not name any such file. Source: Linux hostname(1) SET NAME; Solnix hostname(1) DESCRIPTION
Linux	related commands	The Linux hostname page also covers domainname, nodename, dnsdomainname, nisdomainname and ypdomainname. The Solnix page documents only hostname. OpenBSD and NetBSD point to a separate domainname(1). Source: Linux hostname(1) NAME; Solnix hostname(1) NAME; OpenBSD hostname(1) SEE ALSO; NetBSD hostname(1) SEE ALSO
OpenBSD, NetBSD	same synopsis	OpenBSD and NetBSD hostname have the same synopsis as Solnix: hostname [`-s`] [name-of-host]. Only the boot-time mechanism differs. Source: Solnix, OpenBSD and NetBSD hostname(1) SYNOPSIS

Standards

POSIX: hostname is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
FreeBSD: The HISTORY section says hostname appeared in 4.2BSD.
OpenBSD: The HISTORY section says hostname appeared in 4.2BSD.
NetBSD: The HISTORY section says hostname appeared in 4.2BSD.

Writing portable scripts

Use only hostname with no arguments, or hostname -s, in portable scripts. All five systems document -s.
Do not rely on hostname -f, -d or -i. They are missing on Solnix, or mean something different between Linux and FreeBSD.

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.