Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, pax is the illumos pax, which implements the POSIX.1-2024 utility. Its synopsis has far fewer options than the Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pax: no -0, -E, -G, -T, -U or -B. Scripts written for the BSD or Linux pax need checking.

The manual pages

Solnix: pax(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: pax(1) pax-20240817
FreeBSD: pax(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: pax(1) 8.0
NetBSD: pax(1) 11.0
Standard: POSIX.1-2024 (IEEE Std 1003.1-2024), pax

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos pax; the bundle shows no other variant. The page is published by pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man. The default output archive format is tar(1), and supported formats are detected automatically on input. The Solnix text in the bundle is trimmed after the -i option, so options after it are known only from the SYNOPSIS.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-0` (NUL-terminated names)	Solnix pax has no `-0`. On Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD, `-0` reads and writes NUL-terminated path names, for use with find `-print0` and xargs `-0`. FreeBSD's synopsis has no `-0` either. A pipeline like that cannot use pax on Solnix. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux pax(1) -0; OpenBSD pax(1) -0; NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	select by user, group or time	The Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD synopses all take `-U` user, `-G` group and `-T` range to select members. The Solnix synopsis has none of them; only pattern and file operands, `-c` and `-d` select members. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS (-U, -G, -T)
all four	`-E` limit and damaged archives	The four counterparts take `-E` limit and describe recovery from damaged archives, searching for the most members it can process. The Solnix synopsis has no `-E`, and the visible Solnix text does not describe such recovery. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) DESCRIPTION (damaged archive, -E)
all four	`-B` volume size limit	The counterparts have `-B` bytes, which limits the bytes written to one archive volume (m, k and b suffixes on Linux and OpenBSD). Solnix has only `-b` blocksize and advises portable applications not to use a blocksize above 32256. Source: Solnix pax(1) -b; Linux pax(1) -B; OpenBSD pax(1) -B; FreeBSD and NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	`-z`, `-j` and `-J` flags	The counterpart synopses list `-z` (and `-j` on Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD; `-J` on Linux). The Solnix synopsis has none. The bundle excerpts do not show what these flags do, so check the full counterpart pages before relying on them. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	`-D`, `-O`, `-P`, `-Y`, `-Z`	All four counterpart synopses list `-D`, `-O`, `-P`, `-Y` and `-Z`. The Solnix synopsis has none of them. The excerpts do not show their meaning, so scripts using them need testing on Solnix. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	Solnix-only `-@` and / flags	The Solnix synopsis lists `-@` and / in read, write and copy modes. List mode also prints a file's extended attributes when it has any. No counterpart synopsis has `-@` or /, and the visible counterpart text does not mention extended attributes. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION list mode; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	`-o` in list mode	Solnix accepts `-o` options in list mode as well as in read and write modes. In the Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD synopses, `-o` appears only for read and write. Source: Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS (first form); Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS
NetBSD	remote archives and extra options	NetBSD pax processes an archive named [[user@]host:]file through rmt(8), and has `-N` dbdir, `-A`, `-M` and `-V`. The Solnix page does not mention remote archives or these options. Source: NetBSD pax(1) DESCRIPTION, SYNOPSIS; Solnix pax(1) SYNOPSIS
all four	symbolic links on the command line	Solnix pax archives a symbolic link itself by default; `-H` or `-L` changes that. Solnix lists `-H` and `-L` on its list and read forms too. The counterpart synopses show `-H` and `-L` only for write and copy. Source: Solnix pax(1) -H, SYNOPSIS; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD pax(1) SYNOPSIS

Standards

POSIX: pax is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

For a portable script, use only the POSIX-style options in the Solnix synopsis (-r, -w, -f, -x, -s, -p, -b, -c, -d, -i, -k, -l, -n, -t, -u, -v) and keep any -b blocksize at or below 32256.
Do not rely on -0, -T, -U, -G, -E, -z or -j: they are in the Linux and BSD synopses but not the Solnix one.

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.