Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, mount_smbfs is the illumos SMBFS client. You run it through /sbin/mount -F smbfs, not as a standalone mount_smbfs binary, and it takes -o name=value options. FreeBSD's mount_smbfs is a separate command with its own single-letter flags, so FreeBSD invocations will not carry over.

The manual pages

Solnix: mount_smbfs(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
FreeBSD: mount_smbfs(8) 15.1-RELEASE

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos implementation; the page is published by pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man. The command is not in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or /sbin under the name mount_smbfs. The SYNOPSIS invokes /sbin/mount [-F smbfs] and /sbin/umount [-F smbfs]. No other variants are shipped. The network/smb/client service must be enabled, and the page says it is enabled by default.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD	invocation	Solnix mounts SMBFS with `/sbin/mount` `-F` smbfs and unmounts with `/sbin/umount` `-F` smbfs. FreeBSD documents a standalone mount_smbfs command with the form //user@server/share node. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD	option style	Solnix takes file-system properties as `-o` name=value lists, comma-separated with no spaces (acl, dirperms, fileperms, gid, intr, noprompt, retry_count, timeout, uid, xattr). FreeBSD uses separate flags such as `-R`, `-T`, `-u`, `-g`, `-f` and `-d`. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) OPTIONS -o; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	resource name syntax	Solnix resource is //[workgroup;][user[:password]@]server/share. It can carry the workgroup and password in the name, and the semicolon must be quoted for the shell. FreeBSD is //user@server[:port1[:port2]]/share, with the workgroup set by `-W` and the user by `-U`. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) Operands resource; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -U, -W and the //user@server operand
FreeBSD	default file mode	Solnix fileperms defaults to 700. FreeBSD takes the default file mode from the mount point. Both derive the default directory mode from the file mode, adding execute where read is set. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) fileperms, dirperms; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -f, -d
FreeBSD	password handling	Solnix tries the password stored by smbutil login first, then prompts. `-o` noprompt suppresses the prompt, and the mount fails if a password is needed. FreeBSD `-N` skips the prompt, reads ~/.nsmbrc, and prompts if no password is found. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) Operands password, noprompt; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -N
FreeBSD	`-O` meaning	Solnix `-O` overlays the mount on an existing mount point; without it the mount fails with "device busy". On FreeBSD, `-O` cowner:cgroup/sowner:sgroup assigns owner and group attributes to the connection. Same letter, unrelated meaning. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) -O; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -O
FreeBSD	retry and timeout defaults	The defaults match: 4 retries and a 15-second request timeout. On Solnix they are set with `-o` retry_count and `-o` timeout, which override the SMF global value and the .nsmbrc value. On FreeBSD they are set with `-R` and `-T`. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) retry_count, timeout; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -R, -T
FreeBSD	ACLs and extended attributes	Solnix has `-o` acl\|noacl (default noacl) and `-o` xattr\|noxattr (default xattr, forced to noxattr if the server lacks named streams). The FreeBSD page documents neither. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) acl\|noacl, xattr\|noxattr; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	mount-point permissions and privilege	On Solnix, a user with the SYS_MOUNT privilege can mount and unmount, and an ordinary user can do so on a directory they own. The FreeBSD page does not describe who may mount. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	boot-time configuration	Solnix looks up the resource in `/etc/vfstab`, so one of resource or mount-point may be given alone and the type can be taken from the entry. The FreeBSD page mentions no fstab-style lookup. Source: Solnix mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION (/etc/vfstab); FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	protocol and server support	The FreeBSD page says mount_smbfs supports SMB/CIFS/SMB1 only, not SMB2 or SMB3. The Solnix text in the bundle does not state which protocol versions are supported. Source: FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) STANDARDS; Solnix mount_smbfs(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD	connection options	FreeBSD has `-I` (connect directly to a host, bypassing the NetBIOS resolver), `-E` (character sets), `-L` (locale), `-c` (case conversion) and optional port numbers in the resource. The Solnix page lists no equivalents. Source: FreeBSD mount_smbfs(8) -I, -E, -L, -c; Solnix mount_smbfs(8) OPTIONS

Standards

POSIX: mount_smbfs is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
FreeBSD: STANDARDS: mount_smbfs supports SMB/CIFS/SMB1 and does not support SMB2 or SMB3.

Writing portable scripts

Do not script a standalone mount_smbfs call for all systems. Solnix needs mount -F smbfs with -o options, FreeBSD needs its own flags and resource form, so wrap each in a per-OS branch.
Avoid -O in a shared script: it means overlay mount on Solnix and set connection owner/group on FreeBSD.

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.