lessecho(1) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
lessecho on Solnix is the same helper program from the less package that Linux, FreeBSD and NetBSD ship. less runs it internally, and the Solnix page tells you not to call it directly. The only differences in the page texts are a missing --version entry in the Solnix and NetBSD synopses and a missing 'not for direct use' sentence in the NetBSD description.
The manual pages
- Solnix: lessecho(1) from
pkgs.solnix.less - Linux: lessecho(1) less-692
- FreeBSD: lessecho(1) 15.1-RELEASE
- NetBSD: lessecho(1) 11.0
What Solnix runs
The Solnix page is published by pkgs.solnix.less, and the header says the command on PATH in the base system is the less implementation. No other variants are shipped. The bundle does not give the path of the installed binary.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| all four | same program | The option descriptions for -e, -o, -c, -p, -d, -m, -n, -f and -a are word-for-word the same on Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD and NetBSD. By default only arguments containing metacharacters are escaped, and no characters count as metacharacters until -m or -n is given. The OpenBSD bundle has no counterpart page.Source: Solnix lessecho(1) OPTIONS; Linux lessecho(1) OPTIONS; FreeBSD lessecho(1) OPTIONS; NetBSD lessecho(1) OPTIONS |
| Linux, FreeBSD | --version | The Linux and FreeBSD synopses list 'lessecho --version'. The Solnix synopsis has no --version form, and the Solnix page does not document it.Source: Linux lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS; Solnix lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS |
| NetBSD | --version | The NetBSD synopsis also has no --version form, so Solnix and NetBSD match here. Linux and FreeBSD differ.Source: NetBSD lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS |
| NetBSD | direct-use warning | The Solnix, Linux and FreeBSD pages say lessecho is invoked internally by less and is not intended for direct use by humans. The NetBSD description does not include that sentence. Source: Solnix lessecho(1) DESCRIPTION; Linux lessecho(1) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD lessecho(1) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD lessecho(1) DESCRIPTION |
| Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD | -f not in synopsis | All four pages describe -fn (escape character as an integer) under OPTIONS but leave it out of the SYNOPSIS. The synopses differ from Solnix only in the order of -a, which the Solnix page lists last and Linux and FreeBSD list first. This does not change behaviour.Source: Solnix lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS -fn; Linux lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD lessecho(1) SYNOPSIS |
Standards
- POSIX: lessecho is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
- Solnix: The page has no STANDARDS section.
- Linux: The page has no STANDARDS section.
- FreeBSD: The page has no STANDARDS section.
- NetBSD: The page has no STANDARDS section.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not call lessecho from scripts. The pages say it is meant for less. Use shell quoting instead.
- Do not rely on 'lessecho
--version'. The Solnix and NetBSD synopses do not list it.
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.