Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`install-info(1)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

install-info is not in the base Solnix system; add pkgs.solnix.texinfo to get it. The Solnix page is the GNU texinfo 7.1 page. It matches Linux (texinfo 7.2) and has many more options than the OpenBSD and NetBSD pages, which document install-info 4.8.

The manual pages

Solnix: install-info(1) from pkgs.solnix.texinfo
Linux: install-info(1) texinfo-7.2
OpenBSD: install-info(1) 8.0
NetBSD: install-info(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

Not installed by default: add pkgs.solnix.texinfo. The published page is GNU texinfo 7.1 (October 2023). No other illumos variants are shipped.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	same program as Linux	The Solnix and Linux pages have the same synopsis and the same option list. The only visible difference is the page version: texinfo 7.1 on Solnix, 7.2 on Linux. The bundle shows no option differences. Source: Solnix install-info(1) OPTIONS; Linux install-info(1) OPTIONS
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`--dry-run` and `--test`	Solnix install-info has `--test` (alias `--dry-run`) to suppress updating DIR-FILE. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages document neither, so a script that uses them for a dry run has no documented equivalent there. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --test, --dry-run; OpenBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`--silent`	Solnix accepts `--silent` as well as `--quiet` to suppress warnings. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages document only `--quiet`. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --silent, --quiet; OpenBSD install-info(1) --quiet; NetBSD install-info(1) --quiet
OpenBSD, NetBSD	section selection	Solnix has `--regex`, `--add-once`, `--defsection`, and the form `--section` R SEC, and defaults to "Miscellaneous" when no section is found. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages document only `--section=SEC` and state no default section. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --regex, --add-once, --defsection, --section; OpenBSD install-info(1) --section; NetBSD install-info(1) --section
OpenBSD, NetBSD	entry formatting options	Solnix has `--align`, `--calign`, `--max-width` (`--maxwidth`) and `--no-indent` to control how new entries are laid out in the dir file. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages document none of these. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --align, --calign, --maxwidth, --no-indent; OpenBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`--name` and `--description`	Solnix lets you build an entry with `--name` (alias `--menuentry`) plus `--description`, as an alternative to `--entry`. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages have only `--entry` and `--item`. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --name, --menuentry, --description; OpenBSD install-info(1) --entry, --item
OpenBSD, NetBSD	removal and replacement control	Solnix has `--remove-exactly`, which does not ignore suffixes such as .info and .gz when matching the file name, and `--keep-old`, which does not replace entries or remove empty sections. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages document neither. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --remove-exactly, --keep-old; OpenBSD install-info(1) --delete; NetBSD install-info(1) --delete
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`--debug`	Solnix `--debug` reports what is being done. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages have no equivalent option. Source: Solnix install-info(1) --debug; OpenBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD install-info(1) OPTIONS
OpenBSD, NetBSD	older version	The OpenBSD 8.0 and NetBSD 11.0 pages are both marked install-info 4.8, December 2004. The Solnix page is GNU texinfo 7.1, October 2023. Expect the BSD tools to lack newer behaviour. Source: OpenBSD install-info(1) footer; NetBSD install-info(1) footer; Solnix install-info(1) footer

Standards

POSIX: install-info is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

In portable scripts, use only --delete (or --remove), --dir-file, --info-dir, --info-file, --entry, --item, --section and --quiet. These appear on Solnix, Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD.
Do not rely on --test, --dry-run, --silent, --regex or --defsection on the BSDs. Their pages do not document them.

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.