Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`fetch(1)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, fetch is the bsdfetch package's port of the FreeBSD fetch utility. In the visible text its synopsis, options and descriptions match FreeBSD 15.1 fetch(1). Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD have no counterpart page in the bundle.

The manual pages

Solnix: fetch(1) from pkgs.solnix.bsdfetch
FreeBSD: fetch(1) 15.1-RELEASE

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs bsdfetch, published as pkgs.solnix.bsdfetch, in the base system packages. No other variants are shipped. Both bundle texts are trimmed before the ENVIRONMENT, STANDARDS and later sections, so anything documented only there is not covered here.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD	same program as FreeBSD	The Solnix and FreeBSD 15.1 pages have identical option lists and the same option descriptions in the visible text. Both give the same defaults: 16,384-byte read buffer, passive FTP, SSLv3 disabled. The visible differences are line-wrapping only. Source: Solnix fetch(1) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD fetch(1) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION
Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD	no counterpart page supplied	The bundle has only a FreeBSD counterpart. It gives no Linux, OpenBSD or NetBSD fetch page, so the manual cannot be used to compare Solnix fetch with those systems. Do not assume the same flags exist there. Source: Bundle header (COUNTERPART freebsd only)
Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD	installed by default	The Solnix page documents fetch as a command in the base system, from the bsdfetch package. The bundle has no Linux, OpenBSD or NetBSD page saying whether fetch is installed there. Source: Bundle header (On a default Solnix system the command on PATH is: bsdfetch); Solnix fetch(1) NAME
FreeBSD	environment variables	The Solnix page documents FTP_TIMEOUT, HTTP_TIMEOUT, FTP_PASSIVE_MODE and SSL_ALLOW_SSL3, and says `-T` overrides the first two. The FreeBSD page has the same `-T`, FTP_PASSIVE_MODE and SSL_ALLOW_SSL3 text. The remaining ENVIRONMENT text is trimmed from both. Source: Solnix fetch(1) -T, -p, --no-sslv3, ENVIRONMENT; FreeBSD fetch(1) -p, --no-sslv3
FreeBSD	deprecated `-h`, `-f` and `-c`	On both Solnix and FreeBSD, `-h` host, `-f` file and `-c` dir are deprecated and kept for backward compatibility. Here `-h` means a remote host, not help. Use a URL instead. Source: Solnix fetch(1) -h, -f, -c, SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD fetch(1) -h, -f, -c
FreeBSD	`-m` and `-r` exclusive	On both systems `-m` (mirror) and `-r` (restart) are mutually exclusive. `-F` implies `-R` and only applies with `-r`. Source: Solnix fetch(1) -m, -r, -F; FreeBSD fetch(1) -m, -r, -F

Standards

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

Writing portable scripts

Check that fetch exists before using it. The bundle documents it only for Solnix (bsdfetch) and FreeBSD, so a portable script should fall back to another downloader.
Pass a URL and -o file instead of the deprecated -h, -f and -c 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.