Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, rdist is the illumos rdist at /usr/bin/rdist. Its main difference from OpenBSD and NetBSD is optional Kerberos V5 authentication and encryption (-a, -K, -k, -x, -PN, -PO). Unless Kerberos is used, it relies on rhosts or hosts.equiv. OpenBSD runs rdistd over ssh and takes its options differently.

The manual pages

Solnix: rdist(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
OpenBSD: rdist(1) 8.0
NetBSD: rdist(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos rdist at /usr/bin/rdist. /usr/ucb/rdist is also shipped, but the bundle does not describe it. Linux is not a counterpart for this page: the bundle has no Linux rdist(1).

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
OpenBSD, NetBSD	remote access and authentication	Solnix rdist without Kerberos needs `/etc/host.equiv` or ~/.rhosts on each host. With Kerberos it is authorised by krb5_auth_rules(7). OpenBSD runs ssh(1) by default and then rdistd `-S` on the target. The NetBSD text in the bundle does not describe the transport. Source: Solnix rdist(1) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD rdist(1) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD rdist(1) DESCRIPTION
OpenBSD, NetBSD	Kerberos and encryption options	Solnix has `-a`, `-K`, `-k` realm, `-PN`/-PO and `-x` for Kerberos authentication and encrypted transfer. The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages have no such options. On Solnix, `-x` encrypts the data but sends the command unencrypted. Source: Solnix rdist(1) -a, -K, -k, -PN, -PO, -x; OpenBSD rdist(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD rdist(1) SYNOPSIS
OpenBSD	option set and distopts	OpenBSD moves the Solnix/NetBSD single-letter flags into `-o` distopts: compare for `-b`, follow for `-h`, ignlnks for `-i`. The OpenBSD SYNOPSIS has no `-b`, `-h`, `-i`, `-q`, `-R`, `-v`, `-w` or `-y`. Scripts that use these flags fail there. Source: OpenBSD rdist(1) SYNOPSIS, -o (compare, follow, ignlnks); Solnix rdist(1) -b, -h, -i
OpenBSD	`-a` meaning	Solnix `-a` enables Kerberos authentication and takes no argument. OpenBSD `-a` num sets the minimum free space in bytes that must exist on a filesystem before rdist updates a file. Source: Solnix rdist(1) -a; OpenBSD rdist(1) -a num
OpenBSD	`-c` and `-P` meaning	On Solnix, `-c` takes pathnames followed by a host argument. On OpenBSD, `-c` takes a mini_distfile argument. OpenBSD `-P` sets the rsh path. Solnix `-PN` and `-PO` choose the Kerberos rcmd protocol version. Source: Solnix rdist(1) -c, -PO/-PN; OpenBSD rdist(1) -c, -P
OpenBSD	parallelism, logging, timeout	OpenBSD has `-M` maxproc (default 4), `-F` (no forking), `-L`/-l logging options, `-t` timeout and `-A`/-a free-space checks. Solnix has none of these and takes no name arguments in its SYNOPSIS. Source: OpenBSD rdist(1) SYNOPSIS, -M, -F, -L, -l, -t, -A; Solnix rdist(1) SYNOPSIS
OpenBSD	`-V` and `/etc/Distfile`	OpenBSD runs `/etc/Distfile` automatically from cron(8) via daily(8) if the file exists. The Solnix text in the bundle does not document this. Source: OpenBSD rdist(1) DESCRIPTION; Solnix rdist(1) DESCRIPTION
NetBSD	flag set and `-c` form	NetBSD accepts the same single-letter flags as Solnix (`-b` `-D` `-h` `-i` `-n` `-q` `-R` `-v` `-w` `-y`, plus `-d` `-f` `-m` and `-c`). It has none of the Kerberos options (`-a` `-K` `-k` `-x` `-P`). Its SYNOPSIS also takes name arguments to select files or labels. Source: NetBSD rdist(1) SYNOPSIS; Solnix rdist(1) SYNOPSIS
NetBSD	`-y` wording	Solnix `-y` checks modification times only, not size, and warns for younger remote copies. NetBSD `-y` says files are normally updated if mtime and size disagree, and it also does not update younger files. Source: Solnix rdist(1) -y and DESCRIPTION; NetBSD rdist(1) -y
OpenBSD, NetBSD	default distfile search	All three look for distfile and then Distfile when `-f` is not given. All three accept - as standard input for `-f`. Source: Solnix rdist(1) DESCRIPTION, -f; OpenBSD rdist(1) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD rdist(1) DESCRIPTION

Standards

POSIX: rdist is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

Only -D, -d, -f, -m, -n and -c are in the SYNOPSIS of all three pages. Avoid -b, -h, -i, -q, -R, -v, -w and -y, because OpenBSD expresses some as -o distopts and lacks others.
Do not assume the transport: Solnix uses rhosts or Kerberos, and OpenBSD uses ssh by default. Check that remote access works before relying on rdist in cron.

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.