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`time(1)` on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs

On Solnix, time is the illumos /usr/bin/time, which supports only -p and reports real, user and sys time. Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD all offer more options; for example, -l prints rusage on FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD.

The manual pages

Solnix: time(1) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: time(1) man-pages-6.18
FreeBSD: time(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: time(1) 8.0
NetBSD: time(1) 11.0
Standard: POSIX.1-2024 (IEEE Std 1003.1-2024), time

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos time at /usr/bin/time. No other variants are shipped. The page's SEE ALSO lists csh(1) and shell_builtins(1), but the bundle does not describe shell built-in versions of time. The Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages each warn that shells may have their own time built-in. For the external command, call /usr/bin/time.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-l` (rusage)	Solnix time has no `-l`. FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD `-l` also print the contents of the rusage structure. A script that uses time `-l` fails on Solnix, whose only option is `-p`. Source: Solnix time(1) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD time(1) -l; OpenBSD time(1) -l; NetBSD time(1) -l
FreeBSD	`-o`, `-a` and `-h`	Solnix has no `-o`, `-a` or `-h`. FreeBSD `-o` file writes the timing to a file instead of stderr, `-a` appends to that file, and `-h` prints times in a human-friendly format. Source: FreeBSD time(1) -o, -a, -h; Solnix time(1) SYNOPSIS
NetBSD	`-c`, `-f` and `-t` formats	NetBSD has `-c` and `-t` (csh and tcsh default formats) and `-f` fmt (custom format with %U, %S, %E and so on). Solnix has none of these; its only output choice is the default or `-p`. Source: NetBSD time(1) -c, -f, -t; Solnix time(1) OPTIONS
Linux	option set	The Linux page documents only `-p`, as Solnix does. Its BUGS section refers to `-o` and `-a`, and to GNU time version 1.7, but the OPTIONS section lists only `-p`. The Linux synopsis is time [option ...] command. Source: Linux time(1) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS, BUGS; Solnix time(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	`-p` output format	Solnix `-p` prints real %f, user %f and sys %f on separate lines. Linux says that `-p` uses this format in the POSIX locale, and that GNU time 1.7 is not yet localized and so does not implement the POSIX requirements. The Solnix page states no locale condition. Source: Solnix time(1) OPTIONS -p; Linux time(1) -p, BUGS
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-p` wording	FreeBSD describes `-p` as POSIX.2 compliant with each time on its own line. OpenBSD and NetBSD say it is formatted as IEEE Std 1003.2-1992 (“POSIX.2”). Solnix gives the format explicitly as real %f, user %f, sys %f. Source: Solnix time(1) -p; FreeBSD time(1) -p; OpenBSD time(1) -p; NetBSD time(1) -p
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	exit status 126/127	All four systems document the same codes as Solnix: 126 when the utility is found but cannot be invoked, 127 when it is not found, and 1-125 for a time error. FreeBSD says 'between 1 and 125 included' rather than giving a range heading. Source: Solnix time(1) EXIT STATUS; FreeBSD time(1) EXIT STATUS; OpenBSD time(1) EXIT STATUS; NetBSD time(1) EXIT STATUS
FreeBSD	SIGINFO	On FreeBSD, a SIGINFO sent to time makes it write the current running time of the command to standard output. The Solnix page does not mention SIGINFO. Source: FreeBSD time(1) DESCRIPTION (SIGINFO); Solnix time(1)
all four	environment variables	The Solnix page lists LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, LC_NUMERIC, NLSPATH and PATH. Linux lists the same set. FreeBSD documents only PATH. OpenBSD and NetBSD have no ENVIRONMENT section in the bundle. Linux's BUGS section also criticises the environment variable TIME. Source: Solnix time(1) ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES; Linux time(1) ENVIRONMENT, BUGS; FreeBSD time(1) ENVIRONMENT
all four	timing accuracy	Solnix documents that elapsed time is accurate to the second and CPU times to 1/100 s, so CPU sum can exceed elapsed time by up to a second. NetBSD gives a similar warning about one-second granularity. The Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD pages in the bundle say nothing like this. Source: Solnix time(1) BUGS; NetBSD time(1) BUGS

Standards

POSIX: time is a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: Interface Stability: Standard.
FreeBSD: The time utility is expected to conform to ISO/IEC 9945-2:1993 (“POSIX.2”).
OpenBSD: The time utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification. The flag [-l] is an extension to that specification.
NetBSD: The time utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.2-1992 (“POSIX.2”).

Writing portable scripts

Use only time -p utility in portable scripts. It is the one option on every page, and the 126/127 exit codes are documented on all five.
Call /usr/bin/time explicitly if you need the external command, because shells may supply their own built-in time with different syntax.

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.