Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, captoinfo is the illumos program at /usr/bin/captoinfo. It converts termcap entries to terminfo on standard output. Linux ships it as a link to tic with -I implied. The FreeBSD page describes it as tic invoked under another name, and says that name sets -C, which forces termcap output.

The manual pages

Solnix: captoinfo(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: captoinfo(1m) ncurses-6.6
FreeBSD: captoinfo(1) 15.1-RELEASE

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos captoinfo at /usr/bin/captoinfo. No other variants are shipped. The page's NOTES say to use it because the termcap database may not be supplied in future releases.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	separate program or tic link	Solnix documents captoinfo as its own command with four options: `-1`, `-v`, `-V`, `-w`. On Linux it is a link to tic(1M) with `-I` implied. Linux says other tic options such as `-f` and `-x` also work. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS; Linux captoinfo(1m) DESCRIPTION, SYNOPSIS [tic-option]
FreeBSD	direction set by the captoinfo name	The FreeBSD page is tic(1). It says tic invoked as captoinfo sets `-C`, and `-C` forces translation to termcap format. The Solnix and Linux pages describe captoinfo as termcap-to-terminfo. Check FreeBSD output before relying on it. Source: FreeBSD captoinfo(1) Aliases and -C, -I; Solnix captoinfo(8) NAME; Linux captoinfo(1m) NAME
Linux, FreeBSD	default termcap file	With no filename and TERMCAP unset, Solnix reads `/usr/share/lib/termcap.` Linux reads `/etc/termcap.` The FreeBSD text in the bundle does not name a default termcap file. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) DESCRIPTION; Linux captoinfo(1m) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD captoinfo(1) (no default termcap file shown)
Linux	TERMCAP handling	Solnix and Linux both use TERMCAP as the filename or entry when no file is given. Solnix says that if TERMCAP is a full pathname, only the entry for TERM is extracted. Linux says TERMCAP is treated as a file name, and only the entry for TERM is extracted. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) DESCRIPTION; Linux captoinfo(1m) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	`-v` and `-w` arguments	On Solnix, `-v` takes no value and repeating it adds detail. `-w` takes a required width, and the default maximum is 60 characters. FreeBSD tic synopsis shows `-v`[n] and `-w`[n] with optional numbers. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) -v, -w, -1; FreeBSD captoinfo(1) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	input arguments	Solnix captoinfo accepts several filenames. The FreeBSD synopsis for tic shows a single file operand. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) SYNOPSIS (filename...); FreeBSD captoinfo(1) SYNOPSIS (file)
Linux	nonstandard capability translation	Linux captoinfo translates obsolete AT&T, XENIX, Tektronix, IRIX and AIX capability names and warns on stderr for each. The Solnix page does not document any such translation. Source: Linux captoinfo(1m) Translations from Nonstandard Capabilities; Solnix captoinfo(8) DESCRIPTION
Linux	`-V`	Solnix `-V` prints the version on standard error and exits. Linux `-V` reports the ncurses version and exits with a successful status. The Linux page does not name the output stream. Source: Solnix captoinfo(8) -V; Linux captoinfo(1m) DESCRIPTION, SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	`-1` and extra output options	FreeBSD documents `-0` for single-line output and `-1` for single-column output. Solnix has `-1` (one field per line) but no `-0`. Solnix also lacks FreeBSD's `-I`, `-C`, `-L` and `-o`. Source: FreeBSD captoinfo(1) -0, -1, -C, -I, -L; Solnix captoinfo(8) SYNOPSIS, -1

Standards

POSIX: captoinfo is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: The page lists attributes(7) under SEE ALSO. The bundle shows no interface stability statement.

Writing portable scripts

Pass the termcap file explicitly. The default path differs: /usr/share/lib/termcap on Solnix, /etc/termcap on Linux.
Do not rely on the captoinfo command name on FreeBSD. Its page says tic sets -C under that name, so check the output direction there.
Use only -1, -v, -V and -w width, and only with a width value, since Solnix accepts no other options.

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.