time

Additional Notes

time is a shell command used to measure command execution time. It measures how long a command takes to execute, reporting real, user, and system CPU time.

The Bash builtin time and the standalone /usr/bin/time differ in output format. Use /usr/bin/time -v for detailed resource usage statistics.

Syntax

time [arguments]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how time behaves.
• arguments: Values consumed by the shell builtin or script command.
• command: Command line to run, test, wrap, or control.

Common Options

• --help: Show command help when supported.
• --version: Show version information when supported.

Examples

time --help
man time

Practical Notes

Options can vary by distribution and package version. Use man time, time --help, or the package documentation for exact syntax.