Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`ssh-sk-helper(8)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

ssh-sk-helper is the OpenSSH helper that ssh, ssh-agent and ssh-keygen use to reach keys on a FIDO authenticator. The Solnix page is the same as the Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages in every documented respect, and you are not meant to run it directly.

The manual pages

Solnix: ssh-sk-helper(8) from pkgs.solnix.openssh
Linux: ssh-sk-helper(8) openssh-10.5p1
FreeBSD: ssh-sk-helper(8) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: ssh-sk-helper(8) 8.0
NetBSD: ssh-sk-helper(8) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the OpenSSH ssh-sk-helper, published by pkgs.solnix.openssh and part of the base system packages. No other variants are shipped.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
all four	no documented differences	The SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION and `-v` text on Solnix match the Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages. All five document one option, `-v`, with a maximum verbosity of 3. The manuals show no difference to script around. Source: Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD ssh-sk-helper(8) SYNOPSIS and -v
all four	not for direct use	All five pages say ssh-sk-helper is not intended to be invoked directly by the user. ssh, ssh-agent and ssh-keygen start it and pass `-v` to it automatically when they are in debug mode. To get its debug output, run those tools with debugging on. Source: Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD ssh-sk-helper(8) DESCRIPTION and -v
all four	origin and version	Every page says ssh-sk-helper first appeared in OpenBSD 6.7. The Linux page is from openssh-10.5p1, but the bundle does not give the OpenSSH version behind the Solnix, FreeBSD or NetBSD pages. Source: HISTORY in Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD ssh-sk-helper(8); bundle header for Linux (openssh-10.5p1)

Standards

POSIX: ssh-sk-helper is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

Do not call ssh-sk-helper from scripts. Run ssh, ssh-agent or ssh-keygen with their own debug option (the pages say they pass -v on to the helper), which behaves the same on all five systems.

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.