fastboot(1b) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, fastboot and fasthalt are compatibility shell scripts at /usr/ucb/fastboot and /usr/ucb/fasthalt that call reboot and halt with the proper arguments. The Solnix page does not say they skip disk checks, unlike NetBSD, and FreeBSD treats them as plain aliases for reboot and halt.
The manual pages
- Solnix: fastboot(1b) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: fastboot(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- NetBSD: fastboot(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs the illumos fastboot at /usr/ucb/fastboot, with fasthalt in the same directory. The page says they are shell scripts provided for compatibility only. No other variants are shipped. Neither command is in /usr/bin, so /usr/ucb must be on PATH to run them by name. Linux has no counterpart page in the bundle.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| NetBSD | how the fsck skip works | NetBSD fastboot creates /fastboot and then runs reboot(8). The startup script /etc/rc sees the file and skips fsck(8). The Solnix page says only that the script invokes reboot and halt with the proper arguments, and names no marker file.Source: NetBSD fastboot(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix fastboot(1b) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | plain aliases, no check skipping | FreeBSD documents fastboot and fasthalt as nothing more than aliases for reboot and halt. The FreeBSD page does not describe skipping file system checks, although its NAME line is about stopping and restarting the system. Source: FreeBSD fastboot(8) DESCRIPTION (last paragraph of options); FreeBSD fastboot(8) NAME |
| FreeBSD | options accepted | FreeBSD fastboot accepts -d, -D, -f, -l, -N, -n, -p, -q, -e variable=value, -k kernel and -o options. The Solnix synopsis shows only [boot-options], which the page does not enumerate. Look at reboot(8) for the accepted flags.Source: FreeBSD fastboot(8) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS; Solnix fastboot(1b) SYNOPSIS, SEE ALSO |
| FreeBSD | manual section and page layout | On Solnix the page is fastboot(1b), in the user-compatibility section for /usr/ucb. On FreeBSD it is fastboot(8), a single page shared with halt, reboot and fasthalt. Solnix documents fastboot and fasthalt only.Source: Solnix fastboot(1b) NAME, SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD fastboot(8) NAME |
| FreeBSD | logging and accounting | FreeBSD halt and reboot log the action and write a shutdown record to the user accounting database. -l turns off the logging. The Solnix page says nothing about logging or accounting.Source: FreeBSD fastboot(8) DESCRIPTION, -l; Solnix fastboot(1b) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, NetBSD | stated purpose | Solnix and NetBSD share the NAME line 'reboot/halt the system without checking the disks'. Only NetBSD explains how: the skipped check at next start. On Solnix the page marks the commands as provided for compatibility only. Source: Solnix fastboot(1b) NAME, DESCRIPTION; NetBSD fastboot(8) NAME, DESCRIPTION |
| Linux, OpenBSD | no counterpart page | The bundle has no Linux or OpenBSD fastboot page, so the manual gives no basis to say how or whether these commands exist there. Do not assume them in a portable script. Source: Bundle header (counterparts: FreeBSD fastboot(8), NetBSD fastboot(8) only) |
Standards
- POSIX: fastboot is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
- Solnix: The Solnix page has no STANDARDS or ATTRIBUTES section in the bundle. It says the commands are provided for compatibility only.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not rely on fastboot or fasthalt in portable scripts. Call reboot or halt directly, and on Solnix check reboot(8) and halt(8) for the options you need.
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.