Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

msgattrib is not in the Solnix base system; install pkgs.solnix.gettext to get GNU gettext-tools 0.22.5. Its options match Linux gettext 1.0 apart from the page date. NetBSD ships an older gettext 0.16.1 page with no --color, --style or --previous.

The manual pages

Solnix: msgattrib(1) from pkgs.solnix.gettext
Linux: msgattrib(1) gettext-1.0
NetBSD: msgattrib(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

Not installed by default: add pkgs.solnix.gettext. The published page is GNU gettext-tools 0.22.5 (February 2024). The bundle shows no illumos msgattrib and no other variants.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	same program	Solnix and Linux both document GNU msgattrib. The synopsis, option list and option descriptions are identical. Only the version differs: gettext-tools 0.22.5 on Solnix and 1.0 on Linux. The pages show no behavioural difference. Source: Solnix msgattrib(1) footer and OPTIONS; Linux msgattrib(1) footer and OPTIONS
NetBSD	`--color` and `--style` missing	Solnix msgattrib has `--color`[=WHEN] (always, never, auto, html) and `--style=STYLEFILE` for CSS rules. The NetBSD page documents neither, so a script using them fails against the NetBSD version. Source: Solnix msgattrib(1) Output details (--color, --style); NetBSD msgattrib(1) Output details
NetBSD	`--previous` missing	Solnix has `--previous`, which keeps previous msgids of translated messages when setting 'fuzzy'. The NetBSD page does not list it. Only `--clear-previous` appears there. Source: Solnix msgattrib(1) Attribute manipulation (--previous); NetBSD msgattrib(1) Attribute manipulation
NetBSD	`--empty` missing	Solnix has `--empty`, which also sets msgstr empty when removing 'fuzzy'. The NetBSD page does not document it. Source: Solnix msgattrib(1) Attribute manipulation (--empty); NetBSD msgattrib(1) Attribute manipulation
NetBSD	tool version	The NetBSD page is from GNU gettext-tools 0.16.1 (November 2006). Solnix's is 0.22.5 (February 2024). The extra options above are the only documented differences. Source: NetBSD msgattrib(1) footer; Solnix msgattrib(1) footer
Linux, NetBSD	availability	The bundle does not say msgattrib is part of a base system on Linux or NetBSD. On Solnix it is absent until pkgs.solnix.gettext is installed. A script should check for it first. Source: Solnix bundle header (none: install pkgs.solnix.gettext); Linux and NetBSD msgattrib(1) pages

Standards

POSIX: msgattrib is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.

Writing portable scripts

Avoid --color, --style, --previous and --empty if the script may run against the older gettext 0.16.1 that NetBSD documents.
Check that msgattrib is on PATH before using it. On Solnix it needs pkgs.solnix.gettext.

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.