ftrace vs ltrace

Struggling to choose between ftrace and ltrace? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

ftrace is a System & Hardware solution with tags like tracing, debugging, kernel, linux.

It boasts features such as Kernel function tracing, Interrupt handler tracing, Scheduling and preemption tracing, Function graph tracing, Customizable events and filters and pros including Low overhead, Built into the Linux kernel, Detailed execution tracing, Helpful for debugging and optimization.

On the other hand, ltrace is a Development product tagged with library, debugging, tracing, dynamic-linking.

Its standout features include Intercepts and records dynamic library calls made by a process, Can trace calls made by programs to shared libraries, Helps debug issues caused by dynamic linking, Shows parameters passed to library functions and return values, Tracks time spent in each call, and it shines with pros like Lightweight and easy to use for debugging, Does not require modifying or recompiling the target program, Works on most Linux distributions without special setup, Can trace proprietary programs where source code is unavailable.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

ftrace

ftrace

Ftrace is a Linux kernel internal tracer used to observe and debug kernel behavior, including scheduling, function calls, interrupts, and more. It provides detailed execution tracing of the Linux kernel with low overhead.

Categories:
tracing debugging kernel linux

Ftrace Features

  1. Kernel function tracing
  2. Interrupt handler tracing
  3. Scheduling and preemption tracing
  4. Function graph tracing
  5. Customizable events and filters

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Low overhead

Built into the Linux kernel

Detailed execution tracing

Helpful for debugging and optimization

Cons

Can impact performance if tracing unneeded code paths

Requires rebuilding kernel with Ftrace enabled

Somewhat complex configuration


ltrace

ltrace

ltrace is a debugging utility that intercepts and records dynamic library calls which are called by an executed process. It can be used to trace calls made by programs to shared libraries and helps debug issues caused by dynamic linking.

Categories:
library debugging tracing dynamic-linking

Ltrace Features

  1. Intercepts and records dynamic library calls made by a process
  2. Can trace calls made by programs to shared libraries
  3. Helps debug issues caused by dynamic linking
  4. Shows parameters passed to library functions and return values
  5. Tracks time spent in each call

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight and easy to use for debugging

Does not require modifying or recompiling the target program

Works on most Linux distributions without special setup

Can trace proprietary programs where source code is unavailable

Cons

Only works for dynamic library calls, not static linking

Can introduce some runtime overhead when tracing

Does not trace code within libraries themselves

Limited Windows support compared to Linux