# Debian compatibility

URL: https://chainguard-docs-preview-git-fix-ai-metadata-year.chainguard.app/chainguard/containers/migration/compatibility/debian-compatibility.md
Last Modified: September 28, 2026
Tags: Chainguard Containers, Reference

Differences between Chainguard Containers and Debian third-party images


Chainguard Containers and Debian base images have different binaries and scripts included in their respective `busybox` and `coreutils` packages.

The following table lists common tools and their corresponding package(s) in both Wolfi and Debian distributions.

Note that `$PATH` locations like `/usr/bin` or `/sbin` are not included here. If you have compatibility issues with tools that are included in both `busybox` and `coreutils`, be sure to check `$PATH` order and confirm which version of a tool is being run.

Generally, if a tool exists in `busybox` but does not have a `coreutils` counterpart, there will be a specific package that includes it. For example the `zcat` utility is included in the `gzip` package in both Wolfi and Debian.

You can use the `apk search` command in Wolfi, and the `apt-cache search` command in Debian to find out which package includes a tool.

If your workflow depends on tools or packages from the upstream Debian image, note that Chainguard offers *full* variants (tagged `-full`) for a number of our most popular Containers.These variants map to their upstream equivalent (often the Debian image on Docker Hub) and can ease migration before you move to a more minimal image. Refer to [Full container variants](/chainguard/containers/concepts/container-variants/#full-container-variants).

| Utility             | Wolfi busybox | Debian busybox | Wolfi coreutils | Debian coreutils |
| ------------------- | :-----------: | :------------: | :-------------: | :--------------: |
| `[`                 |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `[[`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `acpid`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `add-shell`         |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `addgroup`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `adduser`           |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `adjtimex`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ar`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `arch`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |        ✅        |
| `arp`               |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `arping`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ascii`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ash`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `awk`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `b2sum`             |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `base32`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `base64`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `basename`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `basenc`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `bbconfig`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `bc`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `beep`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `bin`               |               |                |                 |        ✅        |
| `blkdiscard`        |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `blkid`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `blockdev`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `brctl`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `bunzip2`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `bzcat`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `bzip2`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cal`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cat`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chattr`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `chcon`             |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chgrp`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chmod`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chown`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chpasswd`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `chroot`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `chrt`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `chvt`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cksum`             |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `clear`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cmp`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `comm`              |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `coreutils`         |               |                |       ✅        |                  |
| `cp`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `cpio`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `crc32`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cryptpw`           |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `csplit`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `cttyhack`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `cut`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `date`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `dc`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `dd`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `deallocvt`         |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `delgroup`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `deluser`           |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `depmod`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `devmem`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `df`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `diff`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `dir`               |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `dircolors`         |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `dirname`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `dmesg`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `dnsdomainname`     |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `dos2unix`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `du`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `dumpkmap`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `dumpleases`        |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `echo`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ed`                |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `egrep`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `env`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `expand`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `expr`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `factor`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `fallocate`         |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `false`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `fatattr`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fdisk`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fgrep`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `find`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `findfs`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `flock`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `fmt`               |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `fold`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `free`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `freeramdisk`       |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fsfreeze`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fstrim`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fsync`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ftpget`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ftpput`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `fuser`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `getopt`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `getty`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `grep`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `groups`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |        ✅        |
| `gunzip`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `gzip`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `halt`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `hd`                |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `head`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `hexdump`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `hostid`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `hostname`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `httpd`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `hwclock`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `i2cdetect`         |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `i2cdump`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `i2cget`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `i2cset`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `i2ctransfer`       |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `id`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ifconfig`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ifdown`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ifup`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `init`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `inotifyd`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `insmod`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `install`           |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ionice`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `iostat`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ip`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ipcalc`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ipcrm`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ipcs`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ipneigh`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `join`              |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `kill`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `killall`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `killall5`          |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `klogd`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `last`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `less`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `link`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `linux32`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `linux64`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `linuxrc`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ln`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `loadfont`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `loadkmap`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `logger`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `login`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `logname`           |               |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `logread`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `losetup`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ls`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `lsattr`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `lsmod`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `lsof`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `lsscsi`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `lzcat`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `lzma`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `lzop`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `lzopcat`           |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `md5sum`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `md5sum.textutils`  |               |                |                 |        ✅        |
| `mdev`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `microcom`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mim`               |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mkdir`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `mkdosfs`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mke2fs`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mkfifo`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `mknod`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `mkpasswd`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mkswap`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mktemp`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `modinfo`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `modprobe`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `more`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mount`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mountpoint`        |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `mpstat`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `mt`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `mv`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `nameif`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `nc`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `netstat`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `nice`              |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `nl`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `nmeter`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `nohup`             |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `nologin`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `nproc`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `nsenter`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `nslookup`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `nuke`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `numfmt`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `od`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `openvt`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `partprobe`         |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `passwd`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `paste`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `patch`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `pathchk`           |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `pgrep`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `pidof`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ping`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `ping6`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `pinky`             |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `pipe_progress`     |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `pivot_root`        |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `pkill`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `pmap`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `poweroff`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `pr`                |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `printenv`          |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `printf`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ps`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `pstree`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ptx`               |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `pwd`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `pwdx`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `rdate`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `rdev`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `readahead`         |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `readlink`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `realpath`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `reboot`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `remove-shell`      |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `renice`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `reset`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `resize`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `resume`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `rev`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `rm`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `rmdir`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `rmmod`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `route`             |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `rpm`               |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `rpm2cpio`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `run-init`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `run-parts`         |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `runcon`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sbin`              |               |                |                 |        ✅        |
| `sed`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `seq`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `setkeycodes`       |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `setpriv`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `setserial`         |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `setsid`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `sh`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `sha1sum`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sha224sum`         |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sha256sum`         |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sha384sum`         |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sha3sum`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `sha512sum`         |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `shred`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `shuf`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sleep`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sort`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `split`             |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ssl_client`        |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `start-stop-daemon` |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `stat`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `stdbuf`            |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `strings`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `stty`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `su`                |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `sum`               |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `svc`               |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `svok`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `swapoff`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `swapon`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `switch_root`       |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `sync`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `sysctl`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `syslogd`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `tac`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `tail`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `tar`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `taskset`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `tee`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `telnet`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `test`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `tftp`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `time`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `timeout`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `top`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `touch`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `tr`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `traceroute`        |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `traceroute6`       |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `tree`              |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `true`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `truncate`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ts`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `tsort`             |      ✅       |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `tty`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `ttysize`           |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `tunctl`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `ubirename`         |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `udhcpc`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `udhcpd`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `uevent`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `umount`            |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `uname`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `uncompress`        |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `unexpand`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `uniq`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `unix2dos`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `unlink`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `unlzma`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `unlzop`            |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `unshare`           |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `unxz`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `unzip`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `uptime`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `users`             |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `usleep`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `usr`               |               |                |                 |        ✅        |
| `uudecode`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `uuencode`          |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `vconfig`           |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `vdir`              |               |                |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `vi`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `vlock`             |      ✅       |                |                 |                  |
| `w`                 |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `watch`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `watchdog`          |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `wc`                |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `wget`              |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `which`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `who`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `whoami`            |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `xargs`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `xxd`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `xz`                |               |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `xzcat`             |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |
| `yes`               |      ✅       |       ✅       |       ✅        |        ✅        |
| `zcat`              |      ✅       |       ✅       |                 |                  |