Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, pmap is the illumos pmap at /usr/bin/pmap, and it accepts a core file as well as a pid. Its single-letter flags differ widely from Linux and NetBSD: -x, -A, -s, -l, -S and -a mean different things or do not exist elsewhere, and Solnix documents its output formats as Unstable.

The manual pages

Solnix: pmap(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: pmap(1) procps-4.0.6
NetBSD: pmap(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos pmap at /usr/bin/pmap. No other variants are shipped. The page's SEE ALSO lists plgrp(1), pmadvise(1) and lgrpinfo(1) for use alongside -L.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux, NetBSD	`-A` meaning	Solnix `-A` takes an address range (start, start,, start,end or ,end) and limits output to the segments covering it. Linux `-A` takes low,high. NetBSD `-A` takes one address and dumps the vm_amap structure there. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -A; Linux pmap(1) -A, --range; NetBSD pmap(1) -A
NetBSD	`-x` missing on NetBSD	Solnix `-x` adds size, resident memory (RSS), anonymous memory and locked memory per mapping. The NetBSD page lists no `-x`, and its BUGS section says Solaris `-x` and `-r` would be nice to emulate. Linux `-x` exists but its page does not describe the columns. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -x, USAGE; NetBSD pmap(1) OPTIONS, BUGS; Linux pmap(1) -x, --extended
Linux, NetBSD	`-r` not implemented elsewhere	Solnix `-r` prints the process's reserved addresses. The Linux page has no `-r`. The NetBSD page has no `-r`, and its BUGS section lists it as a Solaris option not yet emulated. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -r; Linux pmap(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD pmap(1) BUGS
Linux, NetBSD	`-s` meaning	Solnix `-s` prints HAT page size information. NetBSD `-s` selects the Solaris-style output format, which is NetBSD's default. The Linux page has no `-s`. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -s; NetBSD pmap(1) -s; Linux pmap(1) OPTIONS
Linux, NetBSD	`-l` meaning	Solnix `-l` shows unresolved dynamic linker map names. NetBSD `-l` dumps a format like the `/proc` maps file. The Linux page has no `-l`. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -l; NetBSD pmap(1) -l; Linux pmap(1) OPTIONS
NetBSD	`-S` meaning	Solnix `-S` shows swap reservation per mapping. NetBSD `-S` takes an address and dumps the vmspace structure there. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -S; NetBSD pmap(1) -S
Linux, NetBSD	`-d` and `-p` meaning	Solnix has neither `-d` nor `-p`. Linux `-d` is the device format and `-p` shows full file paths. NetBSD `-d` dumps vm_map structures and `-p` pid names the process to inspect. Source: Solnix pmap(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux pmap(1) -d, -p; NetBSD pmap(1) -d, -p
Linux, NetBSD	`-a` meaning	Solnix `-a` prints anonymous and swap reservations for shared mappings and is valid only with `-x` or `-S`. NetBSD `-a` displays all information, mixing Solaris, Linux and NetBSD styles. The Linux page has no `-a`. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -a, SYNOPSIS; NetBSD pmap(1) -a; Linux pmap(1) OPTIONS
Linux, NetBSD	Solnix-only `-L` and `-F`	Solnix `-L` shows the lgroup holding the physical memory behind each mapping. `-F` forces control of a process another process already controls. Neither page documents these options. The Solnix page warns that `-F` can cause chaos. Source: Solnix pmap(1) -L, -F, USAGE; Linux pmap(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD pmap(1) OPTIONS
Linux, NetBSD	core files as targets	Solnix pmap takes pid or core operands, so it can read a core file. Linux takes only pids. On NetBSD, `-M` core names a kernel core for the name list, not a process core. Source: Solnix pmap(1) SYNOPSIS; Linux pmap(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD pmap(1) -M
NetBSD	default target and kernel map	With no pid, NetBSD pmap shows its parent process, and pid 0 shows the kernel's memory map. The Solnix page does not say what happens without a pid and does not mention a kernel map. Source: NetBSD pmap(1) DESCRIPTION; Solnix pmap(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION
Linux	exit status and rc files	Linux pmap exits 42 when it did not find all requested processes, and has rc-file options (`-c`, `-C`, `-n`, `-N`). The Solnix page documents only 0 for success and non-zero for error, and no rc files. Source: Linux pmap(1) EXIT STATUS, -c, -C, -n, -N; Solnix pmap(1) EXIT STATUS

Standards

POSIX: pmap is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: the command syntax is Evolving. The -L option and the output formats are Unstable.
Linux: No standards apply, but pmap looks an awful lot like a SunOS command.

Writing portable scripts

Do not parse pmap output in portable scripts. Solnix documents its output formats as Unstable, and the column sets differ across Solnix, Linux and NetBSD.
Avoid -A, -s, -l, -S, -a and -x across systems: each means something different or is missing on at least one of 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.