gawkbug(1) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
gawkbug is the GNU gawk bug-report script. It is not in the base Solnix system: install pkgs.solnix.gawk. The Solnix and Linux pages are word-for-word the same, and the bundle has no FreeBSD, OpenBSD or NetBSD counterpart page.
The manual pages
- Solnix: gawkbug(1) from
pkgs.solnix.gawk - Linux: gawkbug(1) gawk-5.4.1
What Solnix runs
Not installed by default: add pkgs.solnix.gawk. The bundle lists no other illumos variants of this command.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | same program | Solnix and Linux gawkbug are the same GNU script. The synopsis, description and environment variables (EDITOR, HOME, TMPDIR) are identical, and so is the mail destination bug-gawk@gnu.org. Only line wrapping differs. Source: Solnix gawkbug(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION, ENVIRONMENT; Linux gawkbug(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION, ENVIRONMENT |
| Linux | availability | On Solnix, gawkbug is not on PATH in a default system and comes with pkgs.solnix.gawk. The Linux page documents the command without mentioning any packaging. Source: Solnix gawkbug(1) header (none: install pkgs.solnix.gawk); Linux gawkbug(1) NAME |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | no counterpart page | The bundle has no gawkbug page for FreeBSD, OpenBSD or NetBSD, so the manual comparison cannot say whether, or how, those systems ship it. Source: bundle header: counterparts listed are Linux gawkbug(1) only |
| Linux | mail delivery and failure file | Both systems mail the report to bug-gawk@gnu.org, or to the given email-address. If mailing fails, both save it as dead.gawkbug in the invoking user's home directory. The pages do not say which mail program is used. Source: Solnix gawkbug(1) DESCRIPTION; Linux gawkbug(1) DESCRIPTION |
| Linux | editor fallback | If EDITOR is unset, both try alternative editors, including vim and then emacs, and finally run vi. The pages do not give the full list of alternatives or their order beyond that. Source: Solnix gawkbug(1) ENVIRONMENT (EDITOR); Linux gawkbug(1) ENVIRONMENT (EDITOR) |
Standards
- POSIX: gawkbug is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not rely on gawkbug being present. On Solnix it needs pkgs.solnix.gawk, so check with command
-vgawkbug first, and set EDITOR explicitly if the script must not fall back to vi.
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.