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Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +09001perf-config(1)
2==============
3
4NAME
5----
6perf-config - Get and set variables in a configuration file.
7
8SYNOPSIS
9--------
10[verse]
Taeung Songc7ac2412016-02-11 02:51:17 +090011'perf config' [<file-option>] -l | --list
Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +090012
13DESCRIPTION
14-----------
15You can manage variables in a configuration file with this command.
16
17OPTIONS
18-------
19
20-l::
21--list::
22 Show current config variables, name and value, for all sections.
23
Taeung Songc7ac2412016-02-11 02:51:17 +090024--user::
25 For writing and reading options: write to user
26 '$HOME/.perfconfig' file or read it.
27
28--system::
29 For writing and reading options: write to system-wide
30 '$(sysconfdir)/perfconfig' or read it.
31
Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +090032CONFIGURATION FILE
33------------------
34
35The perf configuration file contains many variables to change various
36aspects of each of its tools, including output, disk usage, etc.
37The '$HOME/.perfconfig' file is used to store a per-user configuration.
38The file '$(sysconfdir)/perfconfig' can be used to
39store a system-wide default configuration.
40
Taeung Songc7ac2412016-02-11 02:51:17 +090041When reading or writing, the values are read from the system and user
42configuration files by default, and options '--system' and '--user'
43can be used to tell the command to read from or write to only that location.
44
Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +090045Syntax
46~~~~~~
47
48The file consist of sections. A section starts with its name
49surrounded by square brackets and continues till the next section
50begins. Each variable must be in a section, and have the form
51'name = value', for example:
52
53 [section]
54 name1 = value1
55 name2 = value2
56
57Section names are case sensitive and can contain any characters except
58newline (double quote `"` and backslash have to be escaped as `\"` and `\\`,
59respectively). Section headers can't span multiple lines.
60
61Example
62~~~~~~~
63
64Given a $HOME/.perfconfig like this:
65
66#
67# This is the config file, and
68# a '#' and ';' character indicates a comment
69#
70
71 [colors]
72 # Color variables
73 top = red, default
74 medium = green, default
75 normal = lightgray, default
76 selected = white, lightgray
Taeung Song78ce08d2016-01-08 17:16:11 +090077 jump_arrows = blue, default
Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +090078 addr = magenta, default
79 root = white, blue
80
81 [tui]
82 # Defaults if linked with libslang
83 report = on
84 annotate = on
85 top = on
86
87 [buildid]
88 # Default, disable using /dev/null
89 dir = ~/.debug
90
91 [annotate]
92 # Defaults
93 hide_src_code = false
94 use_offset = true
95 jump_arrows = true
96 show_nr_jumps = false
97
98 [help]
99 # Format can be man, info, web or html
100 format = man
101 autocorrect = 0
102
103 [ui]
104 show-headers = true
105
106 [call-graph]
107 # fp (framepointer), dwarf
108 record-mode = fp
109 print-type = graph
110 order = caller
111 sort-key = function
112
Taeung Song89debf12016-01-08 20:39:31 +0900113Variables
114~~~~~~~~~
115
116colors.*::
117 The variables for customizing the colors used in the output for the
118 'report', 'top' and 'annotate' in the TUI. They should specify the
119 foreground and background colors, separated by a comma, for example:
120
121 medium = green, lightgray
122
123 If you want to use the color configured for you terminal, just leave it
124 as 'default', for example:
125
126 medium = default, lightgray
127
128 Available colors:
129 red, yellow, green, cyan, gray, black, blue,
130 white, default, magenta, lightgray
131
132 colors.top::
133 'top' means a overhead percentage which is more than 5%.
134 And values of this variable specify percentage colors.
135 Basic key values are foreground-color 'red' and
136 background-color 'default'.
137 colors.medium::
138 'medium' means a overhead percentage which has more than 0.5%.
139 Default values are 'green' and 'default'.
140 colors.normal::
141 'normal' means the rest of overhead percentages
142 except 'top', 'medium', 'selected'.
143 Default values are 'lightgray' and 'default'.
144 colors.selected::
145 This selects the colors for the current entry in a list of entries
146 from sub-commands (top, report, annotate).
147 Default values are 'black' and 'lightgray'.
148 colors.jump_arrows::
149 Colors for jump arrows on assembly code listings
150 such as 'jns', 'jmp', 'jane', etc.
151 Default values are 'blue', 'default'.
152 colors.addr::
153 This selects colors for addresses from 'annotate'.
154 Default values are 'magenta', 'default'.
155 colors.root::
156 Colors for headers in the output of a sub-commands (top, report).
157 Default values are 'white', 'blue'.
158
Taeung Song3fa9f402016-01-08 20:39:32 +0900159tui.*, gtk.*::
160 Subcommands that can be configured here are 'top', 'report' and 'annotate'.
161 These values are booleans, for example:
162
163 [tui]
164 top = true
165
166 will make the TUI be the default for the 'top' subcommand. Those will be
167 available if the required libs were detected at tool build time.
168
Taeung Song27335252016-01-08 20:39:33 +0900169buildid.*::
170 buildid.dir::
171 Each executable and shared library in modern distributions comes with a
172 content based identifier that, if available, will be inserted in a
173 'perf.data' file header to, at analysis time find what is needed to do
174 symbol resolution, code annotation, etc.
175
176 The recording tools also stores a hard link or copy in a per-user
177 directory, $HOME/.debug/, of binaries, shared libraries, /proc/kallsyms
178 and /proc/kcore files to be used at analysis time.
179
180 The buildid.dir variable can be used to either change this directory
181 cache location, or to disable it altogether. If you want to disable it,
182 set buildid.dir to /dev/null. The default is $HOME/.debug
183
Taeung Song3b976292016-01-08 20:39:34 +0900184annotate.*::
185 These options work only for TUI.
186 These are in control of addresses, jump function, source code
187 in lines of assembly code from a specific program.
188
189 annotate.hide_src_code::
190 If a program which is analyzed has source code,
191 this option lets 'annotate' print a list of assembly code with the source code.
192 For example, let's see a part of a program. There're four lines.
193 If this option is 'true', they can be printed
194 without source code from a program as below.
195
196 │ push %rbp
197 │ mov %rsp,%rbp
198 │ sub $0x10,%rsp
199 │ mov (%rdi),%rdx
200
201 But if this option is 'false', source code of the part
202 can be also printed as below. Default is 'false'.
203
204 │ struct rb_node *rb_next(const struct rb_node *node)
205 │ {
206 │ push %rbp
207 │ mov %rsp,%rbp
208 │ sub $0x10,%rsp
209 │ struct rb_node *parent;
210
211 │ if (RB_EMPTY_NODE(node))
212 │ mov (%rdi),%rdx
213 │ return n;
214
215 annotate.use_offset::
216 Basing on a first address of a loaded function, offset can be used.
217 Instead of using original addresses of assembly code,
218 addresses subtracted from a base address can be printed.
219 Let's illustrate an example.
220 If a base address is 0XFFFFFFFF81624d50 as below,
221
222 ffffffff81624d50 <load0>
223
224 an address on assembly code has a specific absolute address as below
225
226 ffffffff816250b8:│ mov 0x8(%r14),%rdi
227
228 but if use_offset is 'true', an address subtracted from a base address is printed.
229 Default is true. This option is only applied to TUI.
230
231 368:│ mov 0x8(%r14),%rdi
232
233 annotate.jump_arrows::
234 There can be jump instruction among assembly code.
235 Depending on a boolean value of jump_arrows,
236 arrows can be printed or not which represent
237 where do the instruction jump into as below.
238
239 │ ┌──jmp 1333
240 │ │ xchg %ax,%ax
241 │1330:│ mov %r15,%r10
242 │1333:└─→cmp %r15,%r14
243
244 If jump_arrow is 'false', the arrows isn't printed as below.
245 Default is 'false'.
246
247 │ ↓ jmp 1333
248 │ xchg %ax,%ax
249 │1330: mov %r15,%r10
250 │1333: cmp %r15,%r14
251
252 annotate.show_linenr::
253 When showing source code if this option is 'true',
254 line numbers are printed as below.
255
256 │1628 if (type & PERF_SAMPLE_IDENTIFIER) {
257 │ ↓ jne 508
258 │1628 data->id = *array;
259 │1629 array++;
260 │1630 }
261
262 However if this option is 'false', they aren't printed as below.
263 Default is 'false'.
264
265 │ if (type & PERF_SAMPLE_IDENTIFIER) {
266 │ ↓ jne 508
267 │ data->id = *array;
268 │ array++;
269 │ }
270
271 annotate.show_nr_jumps::
272 Let's see a part of assembly code.
273
274 │1382: movb $0x1,-0x270(%rbp)
275
276 If use this, the number of branches jumping to that address can be printed as below.
277 Default is 'false'.
278
279 │1 1382: movb $0x1,-0x270(%rbp)
280
281 annotate.show_total_period::
282 To compare two records on an instruction base, with this option
283 provided, display total number of samples that belong to a line
284 in assembly code. If this option is 'true', total periods are printed
285 instead of percent values as below.
286
287 302 │ mov %eax,%eax
288
289 But if this option is 'false', percent values for overhead are printed i.e.
290 Default is 'false'.
291
292 99.93 │ mov %eax,%eax
293
Taeung Song485311d2016-01-08 20:39:36 +0900294hist.*::
295 hist.percentage::
296 This option control the way to calculate overhead of filtered entries -
297 that means the value of this option is effective only if there's a
298 filter (by comm, dso or symbol name). Suppose a following example:
299
300 Overhead Symbols
301 ........ .......
302 33.33% foo
303 33.33% bar
304 33.33% baz
305
306 This is an original overhead and we'll filter out the first 'foo'
307 entry. The value of 'relative' would increase the overhead of 'bar'
308 and 'baz' to 50.00% for each, while 'absolute' would show their
309 current overhead (33.33%).
310
Taeung Song67f43c02016-02-04 18:25:06 +0900311ui.*::
312 ui.show-headers::
313 This option controls display of column headers (like 'Overhead' and 'Symbol')
314 in 'report' and 'top'. If this option is false, they are hidden.
315 This option is only applied to TUI.
316
Taeung Song56c94dc2016-02-04 18:25:07 +0900317call-graph.*::
318 When sub-commands 'top' and 'report' work with -g/—-children
319 there're options in control of call-graph.
320
321 call-graph.record-mode::
322 The record-mode can be 'fp' (frame pointer), 'dwarf' and 'lbr'.
323 The value of 'dwarf' is effective only if perf detect needed library
324 (libunwind or a recent version of libdw).
325 'lbr' only work for cpus that support it.
326
327 call-graph.dump-size::
328 The size of stack to dump in order to do post-unwinding. Default is 8192 (byte).
329 When using dwarf into record-mode, the default size will be used if omitted.
330
331 call-graph.print-type::
332 The print-types can be graph (graph absolute), fractal (graph relative),
333 flat and folded. This option controls a way to show overhead for each callchain
334 entry. Suppose a following example.
335
336 Overhead Symbols
337 ........ .......
338 40.00% foo
339 |
340 ---foo
341 |
342 |--50.00%--bar
343 | main
344 |
345 --50.00%--baz
346 main
347
348 This output is a 'fractal' format. The 'foo' came from 'bar' and 'baz' exactly
349 half and half so 'fractal' shows 50.00% for each
350 (meaning that it assumes 100% total overhead of 'foo').
351
352 The 'graph' uses absolute overhead value of 'foo' as total so each of
353 'bar' and 'baz' callchain will have 20.00% of overhead.
354 If 'flat' is used, single column and linear exposure of call chains.
355 'folded' mean call chains are displayed in a line, separated by semicolons.
356
357 call-graph.order::
358 This option controls print order of callchains. The default is
359 'callee' which means callee is printed at top and then followed by its
360 caller and so on. The 'caller' prints it in reverse order.
361
362 If this option is not set and report.children or top.children is
363 set to true (or the equivalent command line option is given),
364 the default value of this option is changed to 'caller' for the
365 execution of 'perf report' or 'perf top'. Other commands will
366 still default to 'callee'.
367
368 call-graph.sort-key::
369 The callchains are merged if they contain same information.
370 The sort-key option determines a way to compare the callchains.
371 A value of 'sort-key' can be 'function' or 'address'.
372 The default is 'function'.
373
374 call-graph.threshold::
375 When there're many callchains it'd print tons of lines. So perf omits
376 small callchains under a certain overhead (threshold) and this option
377 control the threshold. Default is 0.5 (%). The overhead is calculated
378 by value depends on call-graph.print-type.
379
380 call-graph.print-limit::
381 This is a maximum number of lines of callchain printed for a single
382 histogram entry. Default is 0 which means no limitation.
383
Taeung Song806cb952016-02-04 18:25:08 +0900384report.*::
385 report.percent-limit::
386 This one is mostly the same as call-graph.threshold but works for
387 histogram entries. Entries having an overhead lower than this
388 percentage will not be printed. Default is '0'. If percent-limit
389 is '10', only entries which have more than 10% of overhead will be
390 printed.
391
392 report.queue-size::
393 This option sets up the maximum allocation size of the internal
394 event queue for ordering events. Default is 0, meaning no limit.
395
396 report.children::
397 'Children' means functions called from another function.
398 If this option is true, 'perf report' cumulates callchains of children
399 and show (accumulated) total overhead as well as 'Self' overhead.
400 Please refer to the 'perf report' manual. The default is 'true'.
401
402 report.group::
403 This option is to show event group information together.
404 Example output with this turned on, notice that there is one column
405 per event in the group, ref-cycles and cycles:
406
407 # group: {ref-cycles,cycles}
408 # ========
409 #
410 # Samples: 7K of event 'anon group { ref-cycles, cycles }'
411 # Event count (approx.): 6876107743
412 #
413 # Overhead Command Shared Object Symbol
414 # ................ ....... ................. ...................
415 #
416 99.84% 99.76% noploop noploop [.] main
417 0.07% 0.00% noploop ld-2.15.so [.] strcmp
418 0.03% 0.00% noploop [kernel.kallsyms] [k] timerqueue_del
419
Taeung Song0b04c842016-02-04 18:25:09 +0900420top.*::
421 top.children::
422 Same as 'report.children'. So if it is enabled, the output of 'top'
423 command will have 'Children' overhead column as well as 'Self' overhead
424 column by default.
425 The default is 'true'.
426
Taeung Song08b75b42016-02-04 18:25:10 +0900427man.*::
428 man.viewer::
429 This option can assign a tool to view manual pages when 'help'
430 subcommand was invoked. Supported tools are 'man', 'woman'
431 (with emacs client) and 'konqueror'. Default is 'man'.
432
433 New man viewer tool can be also added using 'man.<tool>.cmd'
434 or use different path using 'man.<tool>.path' config option.
435
Taeung Songab2e08e2016-02-04 18:25:11 +0900436pager.*::
437 pager.<subcommand>::
438 When the subcommand is run on stdio, determine whether it uses
439 pager or not based on this value. Default is 'unspecified'.
440
Taeung Song57f0daf2016-02-04 18:25:12 +0900441kmem.*::
442 kmem.default::
443 This option decides which allocator is to be analyzed if neither
444 '--slab' nor '--page' option is used. Default is 'slab'.
445
Taeung Songa9edec32016-02-04 18:25:13 +0900446record.*::
447 record.build-id::
448 This option can be 'cache', 'no-cache' or 'skip'.
449 'cache' is to post-process data and save/update the binaries into
450 the build-id cache (in ~/.debug). This is the default.
451 But if this option is 'no-cache', it will not update the build-id cache.
452 'skip' skips post-processing and does not update the cache.
453
Taeung Song7d685242015-11-22 19:11:56 +0900454SEE ALSO
455--------
456linkperf:perf[1]