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

On Solnix, dtrace is the illumos dtrace at /usr/sbin/dtrace, the same DTrace tool that FreeBSD and NetBSD ported from Solaris. It differs from them mainly in where -A writes anonymous-tracing directives. Linux has no dtrace in the bundle, and bpftrace uses different options, with -e and -f meaning different things.

The manual pages

Solnix: dtrace(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: bpftrace(8) bpftrace-0.25.1 (different command, similar job)
FreeBSD: dtrace(1) 15.1-RELEASE
NetBSD: dtrace(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos dtrace at /usr/sbin/dtrace. No other variants are shipped. The Solnix page points to the Dynamic Tracing Guide for the D language, providers and bundled tools.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD, NetBSD	`-A` output file	Solnix dtrace `-A` writes driver.conf(5) directives for dtrace(4D) to /kernel/drv/dtrace.conf by default. FreeBSD and NetBSD write to /boot/dtrace.dof by default. All of them let `-o` choose another file. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -A; FreeBSD dtrace(1) -A; NetBSD dtrace(1) -A
FreeBSD	`-d`, `-O` and `--libxo`	FreeBSD dtrace has `-d`, which dumps the D script after syntactic transformations. Its synopsis also lists `-O` and `--libxo`. The Solnix and NetBSD synopses have none of these three, so a FreeBSD command line using them will not work there. Source: FreeBSD dtrace(1) SYNOPSIS, -d; Solnix dtrace(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD dtrace(1) SYNOPSIS
Linux	`-e` meaning	On Solnix, dtrace `-e` compiles the request, then exits before enabling any probes. On Linux, bpftrace `-e` PROGRAM takes the program text on the command line. Solnix dtrace takes command-line programs through `-n`, `-f`, `-m`, `-P` and `-i`, or from a file with `-s`. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -e, SYNOPSIS; Linux bpftrace(8) -e
Linux	`-f` meaning	Solnix dtrace `-f` selects probes by function name, optionally qualified by provider and module. bpftrace `-f` FORMAT sets the output format to json or text. The dtrace text shown does not describe a JSON output mode. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -f; Linux bpftrace(8) -f
Linux	`-h` meaning	Solnix dtrace `-h` generates a header file of macros for the probes in a provider definition. bpftrace `-h` prints the help summary. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -h; Linux bpftrace(8) -h, --help
Linux	script input	Solnix dtrace reads a script with `-s` script. bpftrace takes the script as a positional FILENAME, and "-" means read the program from stdin. The dtrace text shown does not document reading the program from stdin. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) SYNOPSIS (-s script); Linux bpftrace(8) SYNOPSIS
Linux	syntax-check without running	Solnix dtrace `-e` verifies that programs compile without enabling the instrumentation. bpftrace `--dry-run` stops after attaching all probes, so it also loads and attaches them. The bpftrace text says it tests that the script can be parsed, loaded and attached. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -e; Linux bpftrace(8) --dry-run
Linux	buffer option	Solnix dtrace `-b` bufsz sets the principal trace buffer size and accepts k, m, g or t suffixes. bpftrace `-B` MODE sets the output buffering mode (none, line or full), not a size. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -b; Linux bpftrace(8) -B
Linux	`-c` child command	Solnix dtrace accepts several `-c` options, exits when all commands have exited, and exposes the first command's PID as $target. bpftrace `-c` runs one command, exposes its PID as the cpid builtin, and sends SIGTERM to the child if bpftrace exits first. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) -c; Linux bpftrace(8) -c
Linux	language and backend	Solnix dtrace compiles D programs and uses probe descriptions of the form provider:module:function:name. bpftrace is a separate language that uses LLVM to compile to eBPF, and its probe examples use forms like kprobe:file. D scripts do not run under bpftrace. Source: Solnix dtrace(8) DESCRIPTION, -n; Linux bpftrace(8) DESCRIPTION, -l
Linux	run time and map output	A bpftrace program runs until Ctrl-C or an exit function is called, and prints all populated maps when it exits. The Solnix dtrace text shown does not describe its exit or end-of-run output behaviour. Source: Linux bpftrace(8) SYNOPSIS; Solnix dtrace(8) DESCRIPTION
FreeBSD, NetBSD	same program family	FreeBSD and NetBSD describe dtrace as ported from Solaris. Their option sets match Solnix for `-32`/-64, `-a`, `-b`, `-c`, `-C`, `-D`, `-e`, `-f` and the probe-selection options. The differences are `-A`, plus `-d`, `-O` and `--libxo` on FreeBSD only. Source: FreeBSD dtrace(1) DESCRIPTION, SYNOPSIS; NetBSD dtrace(1) DESCRIPTION, SYNOPSIS; Solnix dtrace(8) SYNOPSIS

Everyday tasks

Task	Solnix	Linux	FreeBSD	NetBSD
list available probes	`dtrace -l`	`bpftrace -l [SEARCH]`	`dtrace -l`	`dtrace -l`
trace from a one-liner on the command line	`dtrace -n 'probe { action }'`	`bpftrace -e 'program'`	`dtrace -n 'probe { action }'`	`dtrace -n 'probe { action }'`
run a script file	`dtrace -s script`	`bpftrace FILENAME`	`dtrace -s script`	`dtrace -s script`
check that a program compiles without tracing	`dtrace -e`	`bpftrace --dry-run`	`dtrace -e`	`dtrace -e`
trace a command and exit when it finishes	`dtrace -c cmd`	`bpftrace -c COMMAND`	`dtrace -c cmd`	`dtrace -c cmd`

Standards

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

Writing portable scripts

Do not use -e, -f or -h in scripts shared between dtrace and bpftrace: they mean different things in each. Pick the tool by checking which one is installed.
Do not hard-code the -A output path. Solnix defaults to /kernel/drv/dtrace.conf and FreeBSD and NetBSD to /boot/dtrace.dof. Pass -o to choose the file.

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.

dtrace(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs