The big table below, represents the core overlapping utilities from the following projects, and can be used to quickly see what's available where, as well as being a quick index to the online manuals for each command.

ProjectLicence(s)Description
GNU/LinuxGPLv3/GPLv2GNU/Linux is structured as separate projects (and licences)
POSIX Standarization effort
FreeBSDBSDThe FreeBSD distribution
busyboxGPLv2Reimplementation of standard GNU/Linux utils, targetted at embedded systems
toolboxApache2/MIT/BSDAndroid reimplementation of these standard utilities
Mac OS XBSDBased closely on FreeBSD

This is not an exhaustive list of commands and is based on the union of POSIX and the associated GNU/Linux projects. Developer oriented tools are excluded, since these aren't as widely used or distributed. Also excluded are commands always implemented as shell builtins.

Another interesting comparison is the mooted BusyBox replacement based on toybox. This proposed replacement was contemplated only to avoid the GPL, but it seems sense has prevailed.

  GNU/Linux POSIX FreeBSD BusyBox toolbox Mac OS X
arch coreutils 6.9.90          
at at 2 2.0     10.2
awk gawk 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
b2sum coreutils 8.26     1.18.0    
base32 coreutils 8.25     1.18.0    
base64 coreutils 6.0     1.18.0    
basenc coreutils 8.31          
basename coreutils 2 1.0 0.43   10.2
batch at 2 2.0     10.2
bc bc 4 1.0     10.2
cal util-linux 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
cat coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
chcon coreutils 6.9.90          
chfn util-linux          
chgrp coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
chmod coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
chown coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
chpass     1.0     10.2
chroot coreutils   1.0 0.38   10.2
chsh util-linux          
cksum -a in coreutils 9.0 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
cmp diffutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
colrm util-linux   1.0     10.2
column util-linux   1.0     10.2
col util-linux   1.0     10.2
comm coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
cp coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
crontab cronie 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
csplit coreutils 2 5.0     10.4
cut coreutils 2 1.0 0.45   10.2
date coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
dd coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
df coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
dircolors coreutils          
dirname coreutils 2 1.0 0.43   10.2
dmesg util-linux   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
du coreutils 2 1.0 0.39   10.2
echo coreutils 2 1.0 0.43   10.2
env coreutils 2 1.0 0.51   10.2
expand coreutils 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
expr coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
factor coreutils   1.0 - 8.2      
false coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
fdisk util-linux   1.0 0.38   10.2
file file 4 1.0     10.2
find findutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
flock util-linux     1.17.0    
fmt coreutils   1.0     10.2
fold coreutils 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
fsck util-linux   1.0 0.38   10.2
fuser psmisc 5 9.0 0.38   10.5
getconf glibc-common 4 5.0     10.4
getopts shell 4        
getopt util-linux   1.0 0.47   10.2
grep grep 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
groups coreutils   1.0 1.19.0   10.2
head coreutils 4 1.0 0.39   10.2
hexdump util-linux   1.0     10.5
hostid coreutils     0.41    
hostname coreutils   1.0 0.39   10.2
iconv glibc-common 3 0     10.3
id coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
ifconfig net-tools   1.0 0.51 1 10.2
iftop iftop       1  
insmod module-init-tools     1.14.0 1  
install coreutils   1.0 0.38   10.2
ipcrm util-linux 5   0.38    
ipcs util-linux 5   0.38    
join coreutils 2 1.0     10.2
killall psmisc   3.0 0.43 1 10.2
kill coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
link coreutils 5 1.0     10.4
ln coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
locale glibc-common 3 6.0     10.4
logger util-linux 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
login util-linux   1.0 0.38   10.2
logname coreutils 2 1.0 0.41   10.2
look util-linux   1.0     10.2
lp cups 2 3.0     10.2
ls coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
lsmod module-init-tools     0.40 1  
man man-db 2 1.0 1.11.0   10.2
md5     2.0     10.2
md5sum coreutils     0.45    
mesg sysvinit-tools 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
mkdir coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
mkfifo coreutils 3 1.0 0.39   10.2
mknod coreutils   1.0 0.38   10.2
mktemp coreutils 6.9.90   3.0 0.45   10.2
more util-linux 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
mount util-linux   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
mv coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
netstat net-tools   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
nice coreutils 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
nl coreutils 2 5.0     10.4
nohup coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
nologin util-linux   2.0     10.2
nproc coreutils 8.1          
numfmt coreutils 8.21          
od coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
paste coreutils 2 1.0     10.2
pathchk coreutils 4 5.0     10.4
pinky coreutils          
pr coreutils 2 1.0     10.2
printenv coreutils   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
printf coreutils 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
ps procps 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
ptx coreutils          
pwd coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
readlink coreutils 4.5.5   4.10 0.38   10.4
realpath coreutils 8.15 8 4.3 0.38   13.0
rename util-linux          
renice util-linux 4 1.0 0.47 1 10.2
rev util-linux   1.0 1.17.0   10.2
rm coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
rmdir coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
rmmod module-init-tools     0.40 1  
route net-tools   1.0 0.50 1 10.2
runcon coreutils 6.9.90          
script util-linux   1.0 0.38   10.2
sed sed 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
seq coreutils     0.38    
sha1     5.3      
sha1sum coreutils     0.38    
sha224sum coreutils 6.0          
sha256sum coreutils 6.0     0.38    
sha384sum coreutils 6.0          
sha512sum coreutils 6.0     0.38    
shasum           10.6
shred coreutils          
shuf coreutils 6.0          
sleep coreutils 2 1.0 0.38 1 10.2
sort coreutils 2 1.0 0.40   10.2
split coreutils 2 1.0 1.6.0   10.2
stat coreutils   1.0 0.38   10.2
stdbuf coreutils 7.5   9.1      
stty coreutils 2 1.0 0.50   10.2
su util-linux 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
sum coreutils   2.2.5 0.38   10.2
sync coreutils   1.0 0.38 1  
tabs ncurses 2 5.0     10.4
tac coreutils     1.10.0    
tail coreutils 2 1.0 0.39   10.2
tee coreutils 2 1.0 0.39   10.2
test coreutils 2 1.0 0.43   10.2
timeout coreutils 7.0 8 11.0 1.14.0    
time time 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
top procps   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
touch coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
tput ncurses 2 1.0     10.2
tr coreutils 2 1.0 0.43   10.2
true coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
truncate coreutils 7.0   4.2      
tsort coreutils 2 1.0     10.2
tty coreutils 2 1.0 0.41   10.2
umount util-linux   1.0 0.38 1 10.2
uname coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
unexpand coreutils 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
uniq coreutils 2 1.0 0.40   10.2
unlink coreutils 5 4.0     10.4
uptime coreutils   1.0 0.43 1 10.2
users coreutils   1.0 1.19.0   10.2
uuidgen util-linux   5.0     10.2
vi vim 2 2.0 0.51   10.2
vmstat procps   1.0   1 10.2
wc coreutils 2 1.0 0.41   10.2
whereis util-linux   1.0     10.2
which which   1.0 0.45   10.2
whoami coreutils   1.0 0.41   10.2
who coreutils 2 1.0 0.38   10.2
write util-linux 2 1.0     10.2
xargs findutils 2 1.0 0.47   10.2
yes coreutils   1.0 0.41   10.2
zcat gzip 4 1.0 0.38   10.2
© Feb 22 2012