Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

`syslogd(8)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, syslogd is the illumos /usr/sbin/syslogd, run as the SMF service svc:/system/system-log:default. It has only six options. The important differences are the flags: -T and -t control remote logging (-T enables the UDP port), whereas -T means something else on Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD.

The manual pages

Solnix: syslogd(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: syslogd(8) inetutils-2.7
FreeBSD: syslogd(8) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: syslogd(8) 8.0
NetBSD: syslogd(8) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos syslogd at /usr/sbin/syslogd. No other variants are shipped. The service is svc:/system/system-log:default, managed with svcadm(8) and queried with svcs(1). The recommended way to allow or disallow remote logging is the SMF property svc:/system/system-log/config/log_from_remote, not the command-line flags.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
all four	`-T` meaning	Solnix `-T` enables the UDP port so remote messages are logged (the default). Linux `-T` sets local time on received messages. NetBSD `-T` always uses local time for network messages. FreeBSD `-T` is in the synopsis; its text is trimmed in the bundle. OpenBSD `-T` creates a TCP listen socket. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) -T; Linux syslogd(8) -T, --local-time; NetBSD syslogd(8) -T; OpenBSD syslogd(8) -T listen_address; FreeBSD syslogd(8) SYNOPSIS
all four	`-t` meaning	Solnix `-t` disables the UDP port and so turns off logging of remote messages. NetBSD `-t` does chroot(2) to chroot_dir. Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD have no `-t` in their documented options. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) -t; NetBSD syslogd(8) -t chroot_dir; Linux/FreeBSD/OpenBSD syslogd(8) SYNOPSIS
all four	remote logging default and control	On Solnix, SMF property log_from_remote controls remote logging. It is false on installation, and `-t`/-T are equivalent to true/false settings of it (`-T` = true, `-t` = false). Without either property or LOG_FROM_REMOTE set, remote messages are logged. OpenBSD and NetBSD default to not reading the UDP socket (OpenBSD needs `-u`, NetBSD `-s` makes it secure). Source: Solnix syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION and NOTES (log_from_remote); OpenBSD syslogd(8) -u; NetBSD syslogd(8) -s
all four	service model	Solnix runs syslogd under SMF as svc:/system/system-log:default; use svcadm to enable, disable or restart it and svcs to query it. The Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages in the bundle describe no service manager integration. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) NOTES; Linux/FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD, NetBSD	log socket default	Solnix reads the STREAMS log driver /dev/log by default (`-p` changes it). FreeBSD defaults to `/var/run/log` and NetBSD to `/var/run/log.` OpenBSD and Linux default to the /dev/log socket. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) -p, DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD syslogd(8) -p; NetBSD syslogd(8) -p; OpenBSD syslogd(8) -p; Linux syslogd(8) -p
all four	foreground mode	Solnix has no foreground flag. `-d` turns on debugging and must not be used in start-up scripts or the system hangs at that point. Linux uses `-n`, FreeBSD and OpenBSD use `-F`, and NetBSD `-d` does not detach but is for debugging. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) -d; Linux syslogd(8) -n; FreeBSD syslogd(8) -F; OpenBSD syslogd(8) -F, -d; NetBSD syslogd(8) -d
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	pid file	Solnix writes `/var/run/syslog.pid` if possible and has no option to change it. FreeBSD uses the same default and `-P` changes it. Linux has `-P` with a different default. NetBSD writes `/var/run/syslogd.pid.` Source: Solnix syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD syslogd(8) -P; Linux syslogd(8) -P; NetBSD syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION
all four	config file and reload	Solnix reads `/etc/syslog.conf` (`-f` overrides) and rereads it on HUP, closing all files and reopening only those listed. Linux defaults to `/usr/local/etc/syslog.conf.` FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD default to `/etc/syslog.conf.` OpenBSD requires log files to exist already. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION, -f; Linux syslogd(8) -f; FreeBSD syslogd(8) -f; OpenBSD syslogd(8) -f and DESCRIPTION; NetBSD syslogd(8) -f
all four	missing options	Solnix has no option for IPv4/IPv6 selection (`-4`/-6), bind address, remote peer filtering, or message repeat compression control. Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD document `-4` and `-6`; the BSDs and Linux have bind or peer options. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) SYNOPSIS; Linux syslogd(8) -4, -6, -b; FreeBSD syslogd(8) -4, -6, -a, -b; OpenBSD syslogd(8) -4, -6, -U
OpenBSD	TLS	OpenBSD syslogd can send and receive messages over TLS (`-S`, `-C`, `-c`, `-k`, `-K`, `-V`). The Solnix page documents no TLS or TCP support. Source: OpenBSD syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION, -S, -T, -C; Solnix syslogd(8) OPTIONS
all four	message IDs	Solnix can prefix each message with [ID msgid facility.priority] if message ID generation is enabled (see log(4D)); IDs are not shown on the console. The other pages do not document this. Source: Solnix syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION; Linux/FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD syslogd(8) DESCRIPTION

Standards

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

Writing portable scripts

Do not rely on -T or -t in portable scripts: they mean different things on Solnix, Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD. On Solnix set the SMF property log_from_remote with svccfg instead.
Do not assume a socket path or pid file: /dev/log, /var/run/log, /var/run/syslog.pid and /var/run/syslogd.pid all appear in the bundle.

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.