ypxfr(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, ypxfr is the illumos NIS map transfer program at /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypxfr, not on the normal PATH. Its options match OpenBSD and NetBSD apart from the -C argument list. Unlike FreeBSD, it has no -p option and logs to /var/yp/ypxfr.log, not syslog.
The manual pages
- Solnix: ypxfr(8) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: ypxfr(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- OpenBSD: ypxfr(8) 8.0
- NetBSD: ypxfr(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
The command lives in /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypxfr, not in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or /sbin, so call it by full path. The same page documents the wrapper scripts ypxfr_1perday, ypxfr_2perday and ypxfr_1perhour, which the page says are examples in /usr/sbin/yp. No other variants are shipped.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD | -p path option | FreeBSD ypxfr has -p path to set the top-level map directory (default /var/yp). Solnix ypxfr has no -p. Its page documents only /var/yp/ypdomain.Source: FreeBSD ypxfr(8) -p; Solnix ypxfr(8) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | -C argument list | Solnix -C takes tid, prog and server (a host). FreeBSD -C takes taskid, program-number, ipaddr and port. Only ypserv should pass it, but the argument counts differ.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) -C; FreeBSD ypxfr(8) -C |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | -C argument list | OpenBSD and NetBSD -C takes tid, prog, ipadd and port. Solnix -C takes tid, prog and server. Only ypserv should pass it, but the argument counts differ.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) -C; OpenBSD ypxfr(8) -C; NetBSD ypxfr(8) -C |
| FreeBSD | logging without a terminal | Without a controlling terminal, Solnix ypxfr appends output to /var/yp/ypxfr.log only if that file exists. FreeBSD ypxfr always logs through syslog(3) in that case.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | logging | The OpenBSD and NetBSD pages do not say where output goes when ypxfr runs without a terminal. Solnix documents /var/yp/ypxfr.log, used only if the file exists.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | fast raw-file transfer | FreeBSD ypxfr uses rpc.ypxfrd(8), when registered on the master, to copy raw map files. FreeBSD says this protocol is not compatible with Sun's. The Solnix page describes only enumerating the map's entries. Source: FreeBSD ypxfr(8) NOTES; Solnix ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | -d and -s wording | FreeBSD describes -d as the target domain and -s as the source domain. Solnix -d names a domain other than the default, and -s names the source domain for a map that should be the same across domains.Source: FreeBSD ypxfr(8) -d, -s; Solnix ypxfr(8) -d, -s |
| FreeBSD | -h meaning | On Solnix, -h host fetches the map from that host regardless of the master. FreeBSD describes -h as ensuring maps are copied only from the NIS master.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) -h; FreeBSD ypxfr(8) -h |
| FreeBSD | file permissions | FreeBSD says all files ypxfr creates are readable and writable by the owner only. The Solnix page does not state the permissions of the created map files. Source: FreeBSD ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix ypxfr(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | command location | Solnix ypxfr is /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypxfr. FreeBSD documents /usr/libexec/ypxfr. OpenBSD and NetBSD show it with no path.Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD ypxfr(8) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD ypxfr(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD ypxfr(8) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD, NetBSD | periodic-update scripts | Solnix and OpenBSD document ypxfr_1perday, ypxfr_2perday and ypxfr_1perhour for cron. The FreeBSD and NetBSD pages do not mention them. Source: Solnix ypxfr(8) NAME and DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD ypxfr(8) NAME; FreeBSD ypxfr(8); NetBSD ypxfr(8) |
Standards
- POSIX: ypxfr is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not rely on ypxfr being on PATH. On Solnix it is
/usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypxfrand on FreeBSD/usr/libexec/ypxfr, so locate it explicitly. - Limit scripts to
-c,-f,-d,-hand-s, which all four systems document. Leave-Cto ypserv, and do not use-p, which only FreeBSD has.
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.