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.

Feature	ftrace	ltrace
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	System & Hardware	Development

Product Overview

ftrace

Description: 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.

ltrace

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

ftrace Features

• Kernel function tracing
• Interrupt handler tracing
• Scheduling and preemption tracing
• Function graph tracing
• Customizable events and filters

ltrace Features

• 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

Pros & Cons Analysis

ftrace

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

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

Pricing Comparison

ftrace

• Open Source

ltrace

• Open Source