rpc.rstatd(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, rpc.rstatd is the illumos kernel statistics server at /usr/lib/netsvc/rstat/rpc.rstatd, run under SMF and inetd. Unlike the BSDs, it is not started from an inetd.conf line, and its page documents no closedown or interval argument.
The manual pages
- Solnix: rpc.rstatd(8) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: rpc.rstatd(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- OpenBSD: rpc.rstatd(8) 8.0
- NetBSD: rpc.rstatd(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs the illumos rpc.rstatd, which is not in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or /sbin. The daemon is under /usr/lib/netsvc/rstat/. No other variants are shipped. It is managed as svc:/network/rpc/rstat:default.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | binary location | Solnix installs the daemon at /usr/lib/netsvc/rstat/rpc.rstatd. All three BSDs list it under /usr/libexec (OpenBSD gives the bare name rpc.rstatd).Source: Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS; NetBSD rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS; OpenBSD rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | service management | On Solnix the service is svc:/network/rpc/rstat:default. Use svcadm(8) to enable, disable or restart it, inetadm(8) to configure it, and svcs(1) to query it. The BSD pages say only that inetd(8) normally invokes the daemon. Source: Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) NOTES; FreeBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | closedown argument | OpenBSD rpc.rstatd takes a closedown argument, the seconds before going dormant (default 20). The Solnix synopsis has no arguments. Source: OpenBSD rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS (closedown); Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS |
| NetBSD | interval argument | NetBSD rpc.rstatd takes an interval argument: seconds to stay active, updating statistics every second (default 20). The Solnix page documents no argument or idle timeout. Source: NetBSD rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION (interval); Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) SYNOPSIS |
| OpenBSD | chroot and user | At startup OpenBSD rpc.rstatd does chroot(2) to /var/empty and switches to user _rstatd. The Solnix page does not say anything about this.Source: OpenBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | RPC protocol definition | The BSD pages name /usr/include/rpcsvc/rstat.x as the RPC protocol definition. The Solnix page says only that rpc.rstatd is an RPC service and names no protocol file.Source: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | rup role | Solnix says rup(1) uses rpc.rstatd for the uptime information it displays. OpenBSD says only some of the statistics may be read with rup(1). FreeBSD and NetBSD say the statistics are read using rup(1). Source: Solnix rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD rpc.rstatd(8) DESCRIPTION |
Standards
- POSIX: rpc.rstatd is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not hard-code the daemon path: it is
/usr/lib/netsvc/rstat/rpc.rstatdon Solnix and/usr/libexec/rpc.rstatdon FreeBSD and NetBSD. - Enable the service through the local mechanism: svcadm enable on Solnix (svc:/network/rpc/rstat:default), an inetd entry on the BSDs. Do not pass a timeout argument on Solnix.
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.