Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`ztest(8)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, ztest is the illumos ZFS user-space stress test at /usr/bin/ztest, filed in section 8. Its page matches NetBSD's closely. The Linux and FreeBSD pages describe a newer OpenZFS ztest with long options, a 64M default vdev size and extra RAID options. Solnix's page documents a 256M default.

The manual pages

Solnix: ztest(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: ztest(1) zfs-user-2.4.4
FreeBSD: ztest(1) 15.1-RELEASE
NetBSD: ztest(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos ztest at /usr/bin/ztest. No other variants are shipped. The package is pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux, FreeBSD	default vdev size	The Solnix page gives a default vdev size of 256M for `-s`. The Linux and FreeBSD pages give 64M. The same command line builds larger backing files on Solnix, which matters if /tmp is small. Source: Solnix ztest(8) -s; Linux ztest(1) -s, --vdev-size; FreeBSD ztest(1) -s, --vdev-size
Linux, FreeBSD	`-f` meaning in synopsis	The Solnix page documents `-f` path as the directory for vdev files (default /tmp). The Linux and FreeBSD synopses do not list `-f`, though their OPTIONS list `-f`, `--vdev-file-directory` with the same default. Source: Solnix ztest(8) SYNOPSIS, -f; Linux ztest(1) SYNOPSIS, -f; FreeBSD ztest(1) SYNOPSIS, -f
Linux, FreeBSD	long options	The Linux and FreeBSD pages document GNU-style long options such as `--vdevs`, `--run-time` and `--pool-name`. The Solnix page documents only single-letter options. Source: Linux ztest(1) OPTIONS; FreeBSD ztest(1) OPTIONS; Solnix ztest(8) OPTIONS
Linux, FreeBSD	flags missing on Solnix	The Solnix page has no `-K`, `-D`, `-S`, `-C`, `-o`, `-G`, `-M`, `-X` or `-z`. Those control RAID kind, dRAID layout, vdev class state, tunables, debug dump, multi-host simulation, raidz expansion and ZIL failure rate in the Linux and FreeBSD pages. Source: Solnix ztest(8) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS; Linux ztest(1) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS; FreeBSD ztest(1) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS
Linux, FreeBSD	RAID configuration	Solnix `-r` sets raidz disks (default 4) and `-R` sets raidz parity (default 1). On Linux and FreeBSD, `-r` covers raidz or dRAID disks (4 for raidz, 16 for draid), and `-K` picks the kind, random by default. dRAID and expandable raidz can be chosen there. Source: Solnix ztest(8) -r, -R; Linux ztest(1) -r, -R, -K; FreeBSD ztest(1) -r, -R, -K
Linux, FreeBSD	run time wording	The Linux and FreeBSD DESCRIPTION says ztest runs for ten minutes by default, then says it runs for 5 minutes. Their `-T` default is 300s. The Solnix page gives `-T` default as 300 sec and does not state a ten-minute figure. Source: Linux ztest(1) DESCRIPTION, -T; FreeBSD ztest(1) DESCRIPTION, -T; Solnix ztest(8) -T
Linux, FreeBSD	environment variables	The Linux and FreeBSD pages document ZFS_HOSTID and ZFS_STACK_SIZE. The Solnix page documents no environment variables. Source: Linux ztest(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES; FreeBSD ztest(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES; Solnix ztest(8)
Linux, FreeBSD	`-B` alternate ztest	The Linux and FreeBSD pages say the alternate ztest initializes the pool and runs the tests half the time, and that its lib directory is prepended to LD_LIBRARY_PATH. The Solnix page only says `-B` names an alternate ztest invoked after a SIGKILL. Source: Linux ztest(1) -B; FreeBSD ztest(1) -B; Solnix ztest(8) DESCRIPTION, -B
NetBSD	same program as NetBSD	The Solnix and NetBSD pages have the same synopsis, options and defaults, including `-s` 256M. The text differs only in the exec reference: exec(2) on Solnix, exec(3) on NetBSD. Source: Solnix ztest(8) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS; NetBSD ztest(1) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS
all four	manual section	Solnix files ztest in section 8. The Linux, FreeBSD and NetBSD counterparts are section 1. OpenBSD has no counterpart in the bundle. Source: Solnix ztest(8); Linux ztest(1); FreeBSD ztest(1); NetBSD ztest(1)

Standards

POSIX: ztest is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

Pass only single-letter options common to all pages (-V, -E, -v, -a, -m, -r, -R, -d, -t, -g, -i, -k, -p, -T, -s). Use explicit -s because the default vdev size differs between systems.
Set -f explicitly to a directory with enough space, since vdev files default to /tmp on every system that documents it.

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.