times(1) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, times is a shell built-in in sh and ksh, documented in its own illumos page. It prints accumulated user and system times. The FreeBSD page is only an index of shell built-ins, and it lists times as a built-in of sh(1) only, not csh(1).
The manual pages
- Solnix: times(1) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: times(1) 15.1-RELEASE
What Solnix runs
No separate times binary is on PATH on a default Solnix system. The command is a built-in of sh and ksh93. The Solnix page also lists csh in its description line, but gives sections only for sh and ksh. Linux, OpenBSD and NetBSD counterparts are not in the bundle, so nothing is claimed about them.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD | page content | The Solnix page documents times itself, in separate sh and ksh sections. The FreeBSD times(1) page is the builtin(1) index of shell built-ins and does not describe what times prints. Source: Solnix times(1) SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD times(1) NAME, DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | which shells provide it | The FreeBSD table lists times as a built-in of sh(1) only (csh: No). The Solnix page documents it for sh and ksh, with no csh section. Source: FreeBSD times(1) Commands table (times row); Solnix times(1) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD | standalone utility | FreeBSD states that times is not available as a standalone utility. On Solnix the header says it is a shell built-in and not a separate binary. Neither system gives you an executable to run outside a shell. Source: FreeBSD times(1) Commands table (times, Standalone: No); Solnix times(1) header |
| FreeBSD | what is reported | Solnix sh times prints user and system times for processes run from the shell. Solnix ksh times also includes the shell itself. The FreeBSD page does not say what its sh prints, so the scope of the figures cannot be compared. Source: Solnix times(1) DESCRIPTION (sh, ksh); FreeBSD times(1) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | special built-in rules (ksh) | The Solnix page says ksh built-ins marked with * or ** get special treatment: assignments before the command persist, and errors abort a script. The FreeBSD page describes no such rules for times. Source: Solnix times(1) DESCRIPTION (ksh, numbered list 1-4); FreeBSD times(1) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | time versus times | The Solnix page points to time(1) in SEE ALSO. The FreeBSD table lists time separately: standalone Yes, csh Yes, sh No. So time exists as a utility there, but times does not. Source: Solnix times(1) SEE ALSO; FreeBSD times(1) Commands table (time, times rows) |
Standards
- POSIX: times is not listed as a POSIX.1-2024 utility in the bundle header.
- Solnix: The page refers to attributes(7) in SEE ALSO. The trimmed text shows no ATTRIBUTES or standards section.
- FreeBSD: The FreeBSD page, an index of built-ins, states no standards conformance for times.
Writing portable scripts
- Call times only from a shell script run by sh or ksh, never as an external command, and do not parse its output format. The manuals in the bundle do not specify the format.
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.