Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, od is the illumos od at /usr/bin/od, and /usr/xpg4/bin/od is also shipped. It has none of the GNU long options and none of the BSD letter shortcuts (-a, -h, -i, -l, -e, -H, -I, -L, -B). Its default output is 2-byte octal words, and -S means signed decimal long words, not strings.

The manual pages

Solnix: od(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: od(1) coreutils-full-9.11
FreeBSD: od(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: od(1) 8.0
NetBSD: od(1) 11.0
Standard: POSIX.1-2024 (IEEE Std 1003.1-2024), od

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos od at /usr/bin/od. /usr/xpg4/bin/od is also shipped with a similar synopsis. The visible difference is -c: /usr/bin/od -c shows single-byte characters, while xpg4 -c and -C read multibyte characters per LC_CTYPE and print ** for continuation bytes. /usr/bin/od lists -C in its synopsis, but the bundle text does not describe it. Part of the Solnix page (-t type details, -v, -x, -X) is trimmed in the bundle.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	default output	With no type option, Solnix od acts as if `-t` o2 was given (octal 2-byte words). Linux od writes octal bytes by default. Dumps of the same file differ in grouping unless you pass `-t` explicitly. Source: Solnix od(1) DESCRIPTION (default as if -t o2); Linux od(1) DESCRIPTION (octal bytes by default)
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	default output	FreeBSD assumes `-t` oS, which is 2-byte octal, so it matches Solnix. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages contradict themselves: `-b` is called the default, but the closing paragraph says the default is `-o`. Do not rely on the default. Source: FreeBSD od(1) (-t oS assumed); OpenBSD od(1) -b and closing paragraph; NetBSD od(1) -b and closing paragraph; Solnix od(1) DESCRIPTION
Linux, FreeBSD	`-S` meaning	Solnix od `-S` reads long words as signed decimal (`-t` d4). Linux od `-S` BYTES shows only NUL-terminated strings. The FreeBSD page says the traditional `-s` string extraction is not supported and points to strings(1). Source: Solnix od(1) /usr/xpg4/bin/od -S; Linux od(1) -S, --strings; FreeBSD od(1) COMPATIBILITY
OpenBSD	`-D` meaning	Solnix and FreeBSD od `-D` print unsigned decimal 4-byte values (`-t` u4). OpenBSD od `-D` prints 4-byte octal. Linux has no `-D`, and the NetBSD page lists `-D` in its synopsis without describing it. Source: Solnix od(1) /usr/xpg4/bin/od -D; FreeBSD od(1) -D; OpenBSD od(1) -D; NetBSD od(1) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS
all four	missing single-letter shortcuts	The Solnix synopsis has no `-a`, `-h`, `-H`, `-i`, `-I`, `-l`, `-L`, `-e` or `-B`. Linux uses `-a`, `-i`, `-l`; the BSDs use `-a`, `-h`, `-H`, `-i`, `-I`, `-L`, `-l`, `-e`, `-B`. On Solnix use `-t`, for example `-t` x2. Source: Solnix od(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux od(1) -a -i -l; FreeBSD od(1) OPTIONS; OpenBSD od(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD od(1) OPTIONS
Linux	long options and extra GNU features	Solnix od has no long options, no `-w` line width, no `--endian`, no `--traditional`, and no z type suffix. Linux od has all of these. Source: Solnix od(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux od(1) -w, --endian, --traditional, TYPE z suffix
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-t` fL size	On OpenBSD and NetBSD, f followed by L means eight-byte floats and f defaults to eight bytes. On FreeBSD and Linux, L means long double. The Solnix `-t` text in the bundle is trimmed, so check it before using fL. Source: OpenBSD od(1) -t f; NetBSD od(1) -t f; FreeBSD od(1) -t f[F\|D\|L\|n]; Linux od(1) TYPE f
all four	`-j` and `-N` argument syntax	Solnix `-j` and `-N` take decimal, 0x hex or leading-0 octal, and `-j` takes suffixes b, k, m (512, 1024, 1048576). Linux lists b, KB, K, MB, M and so on, with no lowercase k or m. FreeBSD documents b, k, m only. Source: Solnix od(1) -j, -N; Linux od(1) BYTES; FreeBSD od(1) -j
all four	short input and exit status	Solnix `-j` writes a diagnostic and exits non-zero if the combined input is shorter than skip. Short input under `-N` is not an error. The other pages do not document either case, and the BSD pages say only 0 on success, >0 on error. Source: Solnix od(1) -j, -N; FreeBSD od(1) EXIT STATUS; OpenBSD od(1) EXIT STATUS; NetBSD od(1) EXIT STATUS
all four	offset operand	Solnix accepts an [offset_string] operand but not together with `-A`, `-j`, `-N` or `-t`. Linux treats OFFSET as `-j`, and a LABEL operand needs `--traditional`. FreeBSD and NetBSD show [+]offset[.][Bb] in the synopsis. OpenBSD documents it only under `-j`. Source: Solnix od(1) DESCRIPTION; Linux od(1) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD od(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD od(1) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD od(1) -j
FreeBSD	`-c` escapes and locale	Solnix `/usr/bin/od` `-c` prints only \0 \b \f \n \r \t as escapes. FreeBSD `-c` also uses \a and \v, and shows for continuation bytes of multibyte characters. Solnix shows only in the xpg4 version. Source: Solnix od(1) /usr/bin/od -c, /usr/xpg4/bin/od -c; FreeBSD od(1) -t c

Standards

POSIX: od is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
FreeBSD: The od utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (“POSIX.1”).

Writing portable scripts

Select formats with -t and explicit sizes (for example -t x1, -t o2, -t u4), plus -A, -j, -N and -v. Avoid -a, -D, -S, -s, -i, -l, -h and -e, which differ or are missing.
Do not rely on the default output; pass -t or -b explicitly, since Solnix, Linux and the BSD pages give different or conflicting defaults.

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.