Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, csplit is the illumos csplit at /usr/bin/csplit. It has the same four options as the BSDs (-f, -k, -n, -s). Linux (GNU) adds long options, -b, -z, --suppress-matched and a {*} repeat. Solnix also limits the -f prefix so the file name stays within 14 bytes.

The manual pages

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

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos csplit at /usr/bin/csplit. No other variants are shipped. The package is pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	extra GNU options	Linux csplit has `-b`/-`-suffix-format`, `-z`/-`-elide-empty-files`, `--suppress-matched`, and long forms of `-f`, `-k`, `-n` and `-s`. The Solnix SYNOPSIS lists only `-k`, `-s`, `-f` and `-n`, so scripts using the GNU extras fail on Solnix. Source: Linux csplit(1) -b, -z, --suppress-matched, --prefix, --keep-files, --digits, --quiet; Solnix csplit(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	{*} repeat	Linux csplit accepts {} to repeat the previous pattern as many times as possible. The Solnix page documents only {num}, a fixed repeat count. Source: Linux csplit(1) PATTERN {}; Solnix csplit(1) OPERANDS {num}
Linux	file name suffix format	Solnix `-n` sets the number of decimal digits and nothing else. Linux additionally lets `-b` give an sprintf format in place of %02d, so suffixes like hex or a trailing extension are not possible on Solnix. Source: Linux csplit(1) -b, --suffix-format; Solnix csplit(1) -n
all four	14-byte file name limit	Solnix `-f` fails with a diagnostic, and creates no files, if the prefix would make a file name longer than 14 bytes. The Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages state no such limit. Source: Solnix csplit(1) -f; Linux/FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD csplit(1) -f
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	signal cleanup	FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD remove already-written files on HUP, INT or TERM unless `-k` is given. The Solnix page mentions only removal on error, and says nothing about signals. Source: FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD csplit(1) DESCRIPTION and -k; Solnix csplit(1) -k
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	out-of-range split points	The BSD pages say a split before the current line or past the end of the file is an error. Solnix says an error is reported if an operand does not reference a line between the current position and end of file. Solnix also calls zero-line or too-large offset results unspecified. Source: FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD csplit(1) DESCRIPTION; Solnix csplit(1) OPERANDS /rexp/[offset]
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	LINE_MAX input limit	The BSD pages list a BUGS entry: input lines are limited to LINE_MAX (2048) bytes. The Solnix page documents no such limit. Source: FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD csplit(1) BUGS; Solnix csplit(1)
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	environment variables	Solnix lists LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES and NLSPATH. FreeBSD and NetBSD list LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE and LC_CTYPE. The OpenBSD page has no ENVIRONMENT section. Source: Solnix csplit(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES; FreeBSD/NetBSD csplit(1) ENVIRONMENT; OpenBSD csplit(1)
all four	large files	The Solnix page points to largefile(7) for files of 2 Gbyte (2^31 bytes) or more. The counterpart pages say nothing on this. Source: Solnix csplit(1) USAGE; Linux/FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD csplit(1)

Standards

POSIX: csplit is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: Standard. CSI: Enabled.
FreeBSD: The csplit utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (“POSIX.1”).
OpenBSD: The csplit utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.
NetBSD: The csplit utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2004 (“POSIX.1”).

Writing portable scripts

Use only -f, -k, -n and -s, and numeric or /regexp/ and %regexp% patterns with {num}. Avoid -b, -z, --suppress-matched, {*} and long options.
Keep the -f prefix short so the file name stays within 14 bytes, which Solnix enforces.

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.