powerd(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, powerd is the illumos daemon at /usr/lib/power/powerd. pmconfig(8) starts it, and it shuts the system down using suspend-resume. FreeBSD powerd instead scales CPU frequency, and NetBSD powerd runs scripts for kernel power events, so the same name means three different things.
The manual pages
- Solnix: powerd(8) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: powerd(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- NetBSD: powerd(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs the illumos powerd at /usr/lib/power/powerd, which is not on PATH. No other variants are shipped. You do not normally run it by hand: pmconfig(8) starts it. See power.conf(5) for configuration.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD | purpose | Solnix powerd monitors system activity and performs an automatic shutdown using suspend-resume, saving state to disk. FreeBSD powerd sets CPU power and performance modes (maximum, minimum, adaptive, hiadaptive) for AC or battery power. Source: Solnix powerd(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD powerd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| NetBSD | purpose | Solnix powerd does suspend-resume shutdown itself. NetBSD powerd acts on kernel power management events, translates each into a script name and arguments, and runs that script to apply the administrator's policy. Source: Solnix powerd(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD powerd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, NetBSD | how it is started | On Solnix, pmconfig(8) starts powerd. The FreeBSD and NetBSD pages do not say what starts it. The FreeBSD page lists rc.conf(5) under SEE ALSO. Source: Solnix powerd(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD powerd(8) SEE ALSO; NetBSD powerd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, NetBSD | command location | Solnix powerd is /usr/lib/power/powerd, not on PATH. The FreeBSD and NetBSD synopses give the bare command name powerd.Source: Solnix powerd(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD powerd(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD powerd(8) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD | -n meaning (FreeBSD) | Solnix powerd -n is a flag that makes the daemon shut the system down without notifying syslogd(8). FreeBSD powerd -n takes a mode argument, the mode used when the AC line state is unknown.Source: Solnix powerd(8) -n; FreeBSD powerd(8) -n mode |
| NetBSD | -n meaning (NetBSD) | Solnix powerd -n suppresses the broadcast notification and still shuts the system down. NetBSD powerd -n prevents execution of power management scripts.Source: Solnix powerd(8) -n; NetBSD powerd(8) -n |
| NetBSD | debug option | NetBSD powerd -d keeps it in the foreground and sends messages to stderr. The Solnix page has no -d or any other debug option.Source: NetBSD powerd(8) -d; Solnix powerd(8) OPTIONS |
| FreeBSD | tuning options | FreeBSD powerd has -a, -b, -i, -M, -m, -N, -P, -p, -r, -s and -v to tune modes, thresholds, polling interval and pidfile. Solnix powerd documents only -n. Its settings are in power.conf(5).Source: FreeBSD powerd(8) OPTIONS; Solnix powerd(8) SYNOPSIS, SEE ALSO |
| FreeBSD, NetBSD | shutdown notification | Before shutdown, Solnix powerd notifies syslogd(8), which broadcasts a notification. Neither the FreeBSD nor the NetBSD page describes such a notification. Source: Solnix powerd(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD powerd(8); NetBSD powerd(8) |
Standards
- POSIX: powerd is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
- Solnix: Interface Stability: Unstable.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not script against powerd options across systems. The only shared flag,
-n, means three different things on Solnix, FreeBSD and NetBSD.
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.