smartd(1m) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
smartd is not in the base Solnix system: install pkgs.solnix.smartmontools to get it. The Solnix page is the Solaris build of smartmontools 7.4, the Linux counterpart is 7.5. The main differences are in the device scan, the attribute-log format and the version, not in the common options.
The manual pages
- Solnix: smartd(1m) from
pkgs.solnix.smartmontools - Linux: smartd(8) smartmontools-7.5
What Solnix runs
Not installed by default: add pkgs.solnix.smartmontools. The Solnix page is the Solaris version of smartmontools (7.4 in the store path) and says it has no info for other platforms. The bundle shows no other illumos variants. The Solnix page is in section 1m, and it points to smartd.conf(4) and smartctl(1m). Linux uses sections 5 and 8.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | devices scanned without a config file | With no smartd.conf, Solnix scans /dev/rdsk/*s0 for IDE/ATA and SCSI disks and /dev/rmt/* for SCSI tapes. Linux scans /dev/hd[a-t], /dev/sd[a-z] and /dev/sd[a-z][a-z], and says disks behind RAID controllers are not included. Source: Solnix smartd(1m) DESCRIPTION (SOLARIS: scan); Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION (LINUX: scan) |
| Linux | NVMe devices | The Linux page says the default scan also examines /dev/nvme[0-99] when '-d nvme' or no '-d' directive is given. The Solnix page documents no NVMe scan and says it monitors ATA/SATA and SCSI/SAS drives.Source: Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION (LINUX: scan); Solnix smartd(1m) DESCRIPTION |
| Linux | -A attribute log format | Solnix -A writes MODEL-SERIAL.ata.csv or VENDOR-MODEL-SERIAL.scsi.csv. Linux writes MODEL-SERIAL[-NSID].PRT.csv, where PRT can be nvme, and describes the fields as tab-separated tuples. The Solnix page calls them semicolon-separated triplets. Scripts that parse these logs may see different file names and layout.Source: Solnix smartd(1m) -A; Linux smartd(8) -A |
| Linux | service manager integration | Linux smartd checks NOTIFY_SOCKET and supports systemd Type=Notify, which requires -n. The Solnix page has no such section. It only says -n suits init methods such as initng, minit, supervise or systemd, and names neither SMF nor any service file.Source: Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION ([Linux only] Type=Notify); Solnix smartd(1m) -n |
| Linux | default syslog file | Solnix says notifications typically go to /var/adm/messages or /var/log/syslog. Linux says /var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog. Both default to the daemon facility, changed with -l.Source: Solnix smartd(1m) DESCRIPTION, -l; Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| Linux | configuration file location and man section | Both pages give a configuration file path inside their own Nix store, which is smartmontools 7.4 on Solnix and 7.5 on Linux. They cite smartd.conf(4) and smartctl(1m) on Solnix, but smartd.conf(5) and smartctl(8) on Linux. Source: Solnix smartd(1m) DESCRIPTION, -B, -D; Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION, -B |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | no BSD counterpart in the bundle | The bundle includes no smartd page for FreeBSD, OpenBSD or NetBSD, so the manual does not say how smartd differs from the BSD systems. Source: bundle header (COUNTERPART lists only linux smartd(8)) |
| Linux | same options, different release | The extracted option lists are identical on both systems: -A, -B, -c, -d, -D, -h, -i, -l, -n, -p, -q, -r, -s, -u, -w and -V with their long forms. The interval default is 1800 seconds, and the USR1 and HUP signal handling is described in the same way on both pages.Source: bundle header OPTION FLAGS; Solnix smartd(1m) -i, DESCRIPTION; Linux smartd(8) DESCRIPTION |
Standards
- POSIX: smartd is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Pass explicit device names in smartd.conf instead of relying on the default scan, which looks at different device paths on Solnix and Linux.
- Do not assume the
-Aattribute log layout or file name pattern is the same on both systems; check the version of smartmontools installed.
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.