Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, yppoll is the illumos command at /usr/sbin/yppoll. It asks a NIS server for a map's order number and master host. It matches the FreeBSD and OpenBSD synopsis, but NetBSD adds a -T option to use TCP, which the Solnix page does not list.

The manual pages

Solnix: yppoll(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
FreeBSD: yppoll(8) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: yppoll(8) 8.0
NetBSD: yppoll(8) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos yppoll at /usr/sbin/yppoll. No other variants are shipped. Linux has no counterpart page in the bundle, so no Linux comparison is made.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
NetBSD	`-T` (TCP transport)	NetBSD yppoll `-T` uses TCP instead of UDP when `-h` is given. The Solnix SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS list only `-d` and `-h` and do not say which transport is used. A script using `-T` fails on Solnix, FreeBSD and OpenBSD. Source: NetBSD yppoll(8) -T; Solnix yppoll(8) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	default domain source	The FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages say the default domain is the one returned by domainname(1). The Solnix page says only "the default domain" and does not name a command or file. Source: Solnix yppoll(8) -d; FreeBSD yppoll(8) -d; OpenBSD yppoll(8) -d; NetBSD yppoll(8) -d
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	terminology and page references	Solnix, FreeBSD and NetBSD call the service NIS. OpenBSD calls it YP. Solnix SEE ALSO points to ypwhich(1), ypfiles(5) and attributes(7). The BSD pages point to domainname(1), ypcat(1), ypmatch(1), ypwhich(1) and ypbind(8)/ypset(8). FreeBSD points to yp(8) and NetBSD to nis(8). Source: Solnix yppoll(8) SEE ALSO; FreeBSD yppoll(8) SEE ALSO; OpenBSD yppoll(8) NAME, SEE ALSO; NetBSD yppoll(8) SEE ALSO
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	no `-h` given	On every system listed, if `-h` is omitted the server polled is the one ypwhich(1) returns. The Solnix text adds that this is the NIS server for the local host. Source: Solnix yppoll(8) -h; FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD yppoll(8) -h
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	exit status and output format	None of the four pages documents the output format or the exit status of yppoll. Scripts should not rely on either being the same across systems. Source: Solnix, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD yppoll(8) DESCRIPTION (no EXIT STATUS section)

Standards

POSIX: yppoll is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: The Solnix page lists attributes(7) under SEE ALSO, but the bundle text shows no interface stability table for yppoll.

Writing portable scripts

Use only -d domain, -h host and mapname. These work on Solnix, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. Avoid -T, which only NetBSD documents.
Pass -d explicitly if the default domain matters. The Solnix page does not say where the default comes from.

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.