first-steps.tex

\chapter{First Steps}
\section{Perf List}

To get a first overview which events are known to perf use the perf
command {\tt list}. There are several groups of events that are known to
perf, namely: Hardware, Software, \PMU\, raw hardware,
tracepoints and \infull{SDT} (\SDT\) events.

\starttyping
# perf list

List of pre-defined events (to be used in -e):

  cpu-cycles OR cycles                               [Hardware event]
  instructions                                       [Hardware event]

  alignment-faults                                   [Software event]
  bpf-output                                         [Software event]
  context-switches OR cs                             [Software event]
  cpu-clock                                          [Software event]
  cpu-migrations OR migrations                       [Software event]
  dummy                                              [Software event]
  emulation-faults                                   [Software event]
  major-faults                                       [Software event]
  minor-faults                                       [Software event]
  page-faults OR faults                              [Software event]
  task-clock                                         [Software event]
\stoptyping

To narrow the output just append the specific group identifier to
{\tt list}. Lets see which events from the PMU are known to perf.

\starttyping
# perf list pmu

List of pre-defined events (to be used in -e):

  cpum_cf/AES_BLOCKED_CYCLES/                        [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/AES_BLOCKED_FUNCTIONS/                     [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/AES_CYCLES/                                [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/AES_FUNCTIONS/                             [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/CPU_CYCLES/                                [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/DEA_BLOCKED_CYCLES/                        [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/DEA_BLOCKED_FUNCTIONS/                     [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/DEA_CYCLES/                                [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/DEA_FUNCTIONS/                             [Kernel PMU event]
  cpum_cf/DTLB1_GPAGE_WRITES/                        [Kernel PMU event]
\stoptyping

Simple regex can be also used to narrow the output for specific
functions, here e.g. show only the syscalls events known to {\em perf}.

\starttyping
# perf list 'syscalls:*'

List of pre-defined events (to be used in -e):

  syscalls:sys_enter_access                          [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_acct                            [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_add_key                         [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_adjtimex                        [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_alarm                           [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_bdflush                         [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_bind                            [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_bpf                             [Tracepoint event]
  syscalls:sys_enter_brk                             [Tracepoint event]
\stoptyping