pppd(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, pppd is the illumos pppd at /usr/bin/pppd, with the same synopsis as OpenBSD: pppd [tty_name] [speed] [options]. The bundle has no Linux or FreeBSD page. Compared with OpenBSD and NetBSD, the Solnix page documents its own option-file search order and a default for auth. The OpenBSD and NetBSD excerpts document more options, such as compression and, on NetBSD, EAP-TLS.
The manual pages
- Solnix: pppd(8) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - OpenBSD: pppd(8) 8.0
- NetBSD: pppd(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs the illumos pppd at /usr/bin/pppd. No other variants are shipped. The page is published by pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man. The bundle excerpts are trimmed, so options missing from an excerpt may exist on that system.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| NetBSD | synopsis | Solnix and OpenBSD accept an optional tty name and speed before the options: pppd [tty_name] [speed] [options]. The NetBSD synopsis is only pppd [ options ]. Source: Solnix pppd(8) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD pppd(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD pppd(8) SYNOPSIS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | options files read at startup | Solnix pppd reads /etc/ppp/options, then $HOME/.ppprc, then /etc/ppp/options.ttyname, before the command line. The ttyname file name is the device name with /dev/ removed and remaining slashes turned into dots. The OpenBSD and NetBSD excerpts in the bundle do not show this list.Source: Solnix pppd(8) OPTIONS, Options Files; OpenBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS; NetBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | no device given | On Solnix, if no device name is given, or the name is the terminal on standard input, pppd uses that terminal and does not fork into the background. The OpenBSD and NetBSD excerpts do not describe this. Source: Solnix pppd(8) Frequently Used Options, <tty_name>; OpenBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS; NetBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | auth default | On Solnix, auth is the default if the system has a default route. Without auth or noauth, the peer may use only IP addresses to which the system has no route. The OpenBSD and NetBSD excerpts do not state this default. Source: Solnix pppd(8) auth; OpenBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS; NetBSD pppd(8) OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | local:remote address option | OpenBSD and NetBSD document a local_IP_address:remote_IP_address option. A fixed address is not replaced by the peer's value unless ipcp-accept-local or ipcp-accept-remote is given. The Solnix excerpt does not show this option. Source: OpenBSD pppd(8) [local_IP_address]:[remote_IP_address]; NetBSD pppd(8) <local_IP_address>:<remote_IP_address>; Solnix pppd(8) OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | packet compression options | OpenBSD and NetBSD document bsdcomp nr,nt and deflate nr,nt, with 0 disabling compression in a direction. The Solnix excerpt does not show these options, so do not assume they work in a Solnix options file. Source: OpenBSD pppd(8) bsdcomp, deflate; NetBSD pppd(8) bsdcomp; Solnix pppd(8) OPTIONS |
| NetBSD | IPv6 and EAP-TLS options | NetBSD documents +ipv6, ipv6 local,remote identifiers and EAP-TLS options (ca, capath, cert). The Solnix page says pppd provides IPV6CP, but its excerpt shows no such options. The OpenBSD excerpt does not show them either. Source: NetBSD pppd(8) +ipv6, ipv6, ca, capath, cert; Solnix pppd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| NetBSD | active-filter | NetBSD says active-filter is currently available only under Linux, and only with kernel PPP filtering support (CONFIG_PPP_FILTER). The Solnix excerpt does not show active-filter. Source: NetBSD pppd(8) active-filter; Solnix pppd(8) OPTIONS |
Standards
- POSIX: pppd is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Put connection settings in a file used with call name (
/etc/ppp/peers/nameon Solnix) or file name, and test the options on each target. Option sets differ between Solnix, OpenBSD and NetBSD. - Do not rely on the tty_name and speed arguments on NetBSD, whose synopsis shows only options. Put the device and speed in an options file instead.
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.