Man pages › Compared with Linux and the BSDs

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

On Solnix, nfsstat is the illumos nfsstat at /usr/bin/nfsstat. It takes the reporting interval and count as trailing operands, like iostat, instead of a -w flag. Its -v flag takes an NFS version argument, whereas on Linux -v means -o all.

The manual pages

Solnix: nfsstat(8) from pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man · illumos.org
Linux: nfsstat(8) nfs-utils-2.9.1
FreeBSD: nfsstat(1) 15.1-RELEASE
OpenBSD: nfsstat(1) 8.0
NetBSD: nfsstat(1) 11.0

What Solnix runs

A default Solnix system runs the illumos nfsstat at /usr/bin/nfsstat. No other variants are shipped. The Solnix page is published in the package pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man.

Differences

Compared with	Topic	What differs
FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD	interval reporting	Solnix takes operands: nfsstat [options] [interval [count]], where count limits the number of reports. FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD use `-w` wait for a shorter summary at wait-second intervals, and their pages show no count operand. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) SYNOPSIS, OPERANDS (interval, count); FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -w; OpenBSD nfsstat(1) -w; NetBSD nfsstat(1) -w
Linux	`-v` meaning	Solnix `-v` version restricts output to NFS version 2, 3 or 4. On Linux, `-v` is `--verbose`, equivalent to `-o` all, and the version is picked with `-2`, `-3` or `-4`. A Linux script that uses `-v` or `-3` behaves differently on Solnix. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -v; Linux nfsstat(8) -v, --verbose, -2, -3, -4
Linux	`-a` meaning	On Solnix, `-a` displays NFS_ACL information. On Linux, the BUGS section says `-a` is reserved for future use. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -a; Linux nfsstat(8) BUGS
all four	default output	With no options Solnix runs nfsstat `-csnra`: client and server NFS, RPC and NFS_ACL, for all NFS versions, with nothing reset. Linux prints only the NFS versions that have non-zero counts. The BSD pages do not state a default beyond both sides being shown. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) DESCRIPTION; Linux nfsstat(8) -2, -3, -4; FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -c, -s
Linux	`-n` and `-r` selection	On Solnix, `-n` displays NFS information for client and server, and `-r` displays RPC information. On Linux, `-n` means print only NFS statistics, and `-r` means only RPC statistics. Linux's default is both NFS and RPC. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -n, -r; Linux nfsstat(8) -n, --nfs, -r, --rpc
Linux, FreeBSD	`-m` mount statistics	Solnix `-m` [pathname...] can be limited to the NFS file systems containing the named paths, and it errors if combined with other options. Linux `-m` silently ignores other options. FreeBSD `-m` overrides all others. Neither page documents a pathname operand. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -m, OPERANDS pathname; Linux nfsstat(8) -m; FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -m
Linux, FreeBSD	resetting statistics	Solnix `-z` zeroes statistics after printing them and is for the super user only. FreeBSD `-z` also resets after displaying. On Linux `-Z` is a different feature: it takes a snapshot and shows the difference when SIGINT arrives or per interval, and `-z` does not appear in the Linux options. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -z; FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -z; Linux nfsstat(8) -Z, --sleep, -S, --since
OpenBSD, NetBSD	`-M` and `-N` core and system	OpenBSD and NetBSD accept `-M` core and `-N` system to read statistics from a crash dump or kernel image. FreeBSD documents them as deprecated and ignored. The Solnix page has no `-M` or `-N`, and its `-m` means per-mount statistics. Source: OpenBSD nfsstat(1) -M, -N; NetBSD nfsstat(1) -M, -N; FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -M, -N; Solnix nfsstat(8) SYNOPSIS
all four	timestamp option	Only Solnix has `-T` u\|d to print a time stamp, as the internal time representation (u) or standard date format (d). The other pages show no equivalent option. Source: Solnix nfsstat(8) -T; Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD nfsstat OPTIONS
FreeBSD	FreeBSD-only reports	FreeBSD adds `-d` (iostat-style server stats), `-e`/-E (extra NFSv4 statistics), `-W` (wide format), `-q` (no headers) and `--libxo` (structured output). Solnix has none of these. Source: FreeBSD nfsstat(1) -d, -e, -E, -W, -q, --libxo; Solnix nfsstat(8) SYNOPSIS
Linux	facility selection and long options	Linux has `-o` facility (nfs, rpc, net, fh, rc, io, ra, all), `-l` list form and long options such as `--server` and `--client`. The Solnix page documents none of these; it has `-a` for NFS_ACL information. Source: Linux nfsstat(8) -o, -l, --server, --client; Solnix nfsstat(8) OPTIONS

Standards

POSIX: nfsstat is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Solnix: The page lists attributes(7) under SEE ALSO. The bundle text shows no interface stability table.

Writing portable scripts

Use only -c, -s and -m in portable scripts, and expect different output formats and different handling of other options with -m. Do not use -v, -a, -n or -r, whose meanings differ.
Use interval operands on Solnix and -w wait on the BSDs, and branch on uname for repeated reports.

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.