Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, paste is the illumos paste at /usr/bin/paste. It has the same -d and -s options as the BSDs. The main difference for Linux users is that GNU paste's -z (NUL-terminated lines) is not documented. The main difference for BSD users is that unknown backslash escapes in the -d list are unspecified on Solnix, but mean the literal character on the BSDs.

The manual pages

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

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos paste at /usr/bin/paste. No other variants are shipped.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
Linux	`-z` NUL-terminated lines	Linux paste `-z` treats NUL, not newline, as the line delimiter. The Solnix page documents only `-d` and `-s`, so it does not say that `-z` is supported. Source: Linux paste(1) -z, --zero-terminated; Solnix paste(1) SYNOPSIS and OPTIONS
Linux	long options and `--help`/-`-version`	Linux paste accepts `--delimiters`, `--serial`, `--help` and `--version`. The Solnix page documents only the short options `-d` and `-s`, and no `--help` or `--version`. Source: Linux paste(1) -d, --delimiters; -s, --serial; --help; --version; Solnix paste(1) SYNOPSIS
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	unknown backslash escapes in `-d` list	On Solnix, a backslash followed by any character other than n, t, \ or 0 gives unspecified results. FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD say such a character is equivalent to the character itself. Source: Solnix paste(1) -d ("If any other characters follow the backslash, the results are unspecified"); FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD paste(1) -d ("Any other character preceded by a backslash is equivalent to the character itself")
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	\0 followed by x, X or a digit	Solnix says that if \0 is immediately followed by x, X or an LC_CTYPE digit character, the results are unspecified. The BSD pages give no such caveat. Source: Solnix paste(1) -d (\0); FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD paste(1) -d (\0)
Linux	backslash escapes in `-d` list	Linux says only that backslash escapes are supported in the `-d` list. It does not list which ones. Solnix lists \n, \t, \\ and \0 and leaves all others unspecified. Source: Linux paste(1) -d, --delimiters; Solnix paste(1) -d
all four	stdin operand	Solnix, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD say that `-` as a file operand reads standard input, one line at a time, circularly for each `-`. Linux says that with no FILE, or when FILE is `-`, paste reads standard input. Only Linux documents the no-operand case. Solnix and the BSDs list file as required in the synopsis. Source: Solnix paste(1) SYNOPSIS, OPERANDS; Linux paste(1) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD paste(1) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	minimum number of files	The Solnix page states that implementations support pasting at least 12 file operands. The BSD pages state no such minimum. Source: Solnix paste(1) OPERANDS; FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD paste(1) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	environment and large files	The Solnix page lists LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES and NLSPATH as affecting paste and refers to largefile(7) for files of 2 Gbyte or more. The FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages have no environment or large-file section. Source: Solnix paste(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES, USAGE; FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD paste(1)

Standards

POSIX: paste is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: Standard. CSI: Enabled.
FreeBSD: The paste utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compatible.
OpenBSD: The paste utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.
NetBSD: The paste utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compatible.

Writing portable scripts

Use only -d and -s, and only the escapes \n, \t, \\ and \0 in the -d list. Other backslash sequences are unspecified on Solnix and mean the literal character on the BSDs.
Do not rely on -z. Only the Linux page documents it. Pass `-` explicitly to read standard input instead of relying on an empty operand list.

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.