Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`krb5-config(1)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, krb5-config is the illumos tool at /usr/bin/krb5-config. It prints compile and link flags for the installed Kerberos libraries. Its --libs supports only the krb5 library, whereas FreeBSD (MIT) and NetBSD (Heimdal) also accept gssapi and the kadmin libraries.

The manual pages

Solnix: krb5-config(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
FreeBSD: krb5-config(1) 15.1-RELEASE
NetBSD: krb5-config(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos krb5-config at /usr/bin/krb5-config, published in pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man. No other variants are shipped. The Solnix page does not say which Kerberos implementation it describes. FreeBSD documents MIT Kerberos and NetBSD documents Heimdal.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
NetBSD	no-argument behaviour	Solnix krb5-config with no options prints the usage message (`--help` is the default). FreeBSD does the same. NetBSD instead outputs the flags and libraries for a normal krb5 program. Source: Solnix krb5-config(1) --help; FreeBSD krb5-config(1) --help; NetBSD krb5-config(1) DESCRIPTION ("By default krb5-config will output...")
FreeBSD, NetBSD	libraries accepted by `--libs`	Solnix `--libs` supports only krb5. FreeBSD also accepts gssapi, kadm-client, kadm-server and kdb. NetBSD accepts gssapi, kadm-client and kadm-server, and has no kdb. A GSSAPI or kadmin link line cannot be generated with the Solnix page's krb5-config. Source: Solnix krb5-config(1) --libs; FreeBSD krb5-config(1) --libs; NetBSD krb5-config(1) DESCRIPTION library list
NetBSD	library argument syntax	Solnix and FreeBSD take the library as the argument of `--libs` (`--libs` krb5). NetBSD's synopsis gives the library as a separate positional argument, [`--libs`] [libraries]. Source: Solnix krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	`--libs` library optional or required	The FreeBSD synopsis writes `--libs` [libraries] and lists krb5 as the default. The Solnix synopsis writes `--libs` library with no brackets and states no default. Pass the library name explicitly on Solnix. Source: FreeBSD krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS, --libs; Solnix krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS, --libs
FreeBSD	default location options	FreeBSD has `--defccname`, `--defktname` and `--defcktname`, which print the built-in default credentials cache, keytab and client keytab locations. Solnix has none of these options. Source: FreeBSD krb5-config(1) --defccname, --defktname, --defcktname; Solnix krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS
NetBSD	missing informational options	NetBSD documents only `--prefix`, `--exec-prefix`, `--libs` and `--cflags`. It has no `--version`, `--vendor`, `--all` or `--help`, which Solnix and FreeBSD document. Scripts that query the Kerberos version this way will not work on NetBSD. Source: NetBSD krb5-config(1) SYNOPSIS; Solnix krb5-config(1) --all, --vendor, --version
NetBSD	`--prefix` and `--exec-prefix` can set a value	On NetBSD, `--prefix=dir` and `--exec-prefix=dir` set the value instead of printing it. On Solnix and FreeBSD, these options only display the prefix the installation was built with. Source: NetBSD krb5-config(1) --prefix[=dir], --exec-prefix[=dir]; Solnix krb5-config(1) --prefix, --exec-prefix; FreeBSD krb5-config(1) --prefix
NetBSD	rpath in `--libs` output	NetBSD says `--libs` output includes rpath flags, intended for a final link done through the C compiler. The Solnix and FreeBSD pages do not say whether rpath flags are included. Source: NetBSD krb5-config(1) --libs; Solnix krb5-config(1) --libs; FreeBSD krb5-config(1) --libs
FreeBSD, NetBSD	Kerberos implementation	FreeBSD's page describes MIT Kerberos and NetBSD's describes Heimdal. The Solnix page names neither, so output and available libraries should be checked on the target system. Source: FreeBSD krb5-config(1) NAME; NetBSD krb5-config(1) NAME, DESCRIPTION; Solnix krb5-config(1) NAME

Standards

POSIX: krb5-config is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: Volatile.
FreeBSD: The page has no STANDARDS section.
NetBSD: The page has no STANDARDS section. HISTORY: krb5-config appeared in Heimdal 0.3d.

Writing portable scripts

Use only --cflags and --libs krb5 with the library named explicitly. That works on Solnix, FreeBSD and NetBSD according to their pages.
Do not rely on --version, --vendor, --all or the --def*name options. NetBSD lacks the first three, and only FreeBSD documents --def*name.

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.