Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, locale is the illumos locale at /usr/bin/locale, a POSIX utility with -a, -m, -c and -k. Unlike OpenBSD, whose locale takes a charmap operand and has no -c or -k, Solnix follows the POSIX form. The BSD pages differ on where locales are searched for and on how -m works.

The manual pages

Solnix: locale(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: locale(1) man-pages-6.18
FreeBSD: locale(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: locale(1) 8.0
NetBSD: locale(1) 11.0
Standard: POSIX.1-2024 (IEEE Std 1003.1-2024), locale

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos locale at /usr/bin/locale. No other variants are shipped. The page's SEE ALSO points to localedef(1) and locale(7).

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
OpenBSD	`-c` and `-k` missing, charmap operand	OpenBSD locale accepts only `-a`, `-m` or a charmap operand, and has no `-c` or `-k`. Solnix accepts `-c` and `-k` with name operands. On Solnix, charmap is a reserved name operand. OpenBSD's charmap prints the current encoding. Source: OpenBSD locale(1) SYNOPSIS, charmap; Solnix locale(1) SYNOPSIS, OPERANDS (name, charmap)
OpenBSD	`-m` output	Solnix `-m` writes the names of available charmaps (see localedef(1)). OpenBSD `-m` always returns UTF-8 only. Source: Solnix locale(1) -m; OpenBSD locale(1) -m
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-m` is emulated	FreeBSD and NetBSD say they do not support charmaps in the POSIX sense and emulate `-m` from the CODESETs of the available locales. The Solnix page says only that `-m` writes the names of available charmaps. Source: FreeBSD locale(1) BUGS; NetBSD locale(1) BUGS; Solnix locale(1) -m
FreeBSD, NetBSD	PATH_LOCALE and `-a`	On FreeBSD and NetBSD, `-a` respects PATH_LOCALE and uses it instead of the default locale directory. The Solnix page does not mention PATH_LOCALE. It says LANG, LC_* and NLSPATH are used only if `-a` is not given. Source: FreeBSD locale(1) -a; NetBSD locale(1) -a; Solnix locale(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
FreeBSD	`-k` list extension	FreeBSD has a specific keyword, list, used as locale `-k` list [prefix], to print all available keywords. The Solnix page documents no such keyword. Source: FreeBSD locale(1) SYNOPSIS, IMPLEMENTATION NOTES; Solnix locale(1) OPERANDS
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-c` and `-k` with no operands	On FreeBSD, `-c` and `-k` with no keywords print all defined keywords. NetBSD's synopsis shows keyword as optional. The Solnix synopsis requires one or more name operands for `-c` and `-k`. Source: FreeBSD locale(1) -c, -k; NetBSD locale(1) SYNOPSIS; Solnix locale(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	long options and extra flags	Linux locale has long options (`--all-locales`, `--charmaps`, `--category-name`, `--keyword-name`) and `-v`, `-V`, `--help` and `--usage`. Solnix documents only `-a`, `-c`, `-k` and `-m`. Linux `-a` `-v` adds LC_IDENTIFICATION data. Source: Linux locale(1) DESCRIPTION; Solnix locale(1) OPTIONS
Linux	charmap query	On Linux the current character set is shown with locale `-c` charmap. On Solnix, charmap is a reserved name operand, but the page does not describe its output. Source: Linux locale(1) -m; Solnix locale(1) OPERANDS
all four	LC_CTYPE and LC_COLLATE output	On Solnix, selecting LC_CTYPE or its keywords writes only values in the range 0x00-0x7f. Selecting LC_COLLATE writes no actual values. The other pages do not describe this limit. Source: Solnix locale(1) NOTES
FreeBSD	environment variables not interpreted	FreeBSD says LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES and NLSPATH are not interpreted by locale. Solnix lists LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, LC_* and NLSPATH as determining the current locale environment. Source: FreeBSD locale(1) STANDARDS; Solnix locale(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

Standards

POSIX: locale is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: Standard.
Linux: STANDARDS: POSIX.1-2008. HISTORY: POSIX.1-2001.
FreeBSD: The locale utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2004 (“POSIX.1”). The LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES and NLSPATH environment variables are not interpreted.
OpenBSD: The locale utility implements a subset of the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification. It was first standardized in the X/Open Portability Guide Issue 4 (“XPG4”).
NetBSD: locale conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (“POSIX.1”).

Writing portable scripts

Use only locale, locale -a and bare locale -m in portable scripts. OpenBSD has no -c or -k, and its -m always returns UTF-8 only.
Do not rely on locale -a ordering or exact names across systems. Check the output of locale -a for the name you need, such as en_US.UTF-8.

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.