ftrace vs strace

Struggling to choose between ftrace and strace? 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, strace is a Os & Utilities product tagged with debugging, monitoring, linux.

Its standout features include Traces system calls and signals, Intercepts and prints the system calls executed by a program, Displays the values of parameters passed to and returned from system calls, Can attach to an already running process or start a process and trace it, Can trace child processes spawned by a traced process, and it shines with pros like Useful for debugging and troubleshooting programs, Helps identify performance bottlenecks, Lightweight and easy to use, Works on most Linux distributions without needing compilation.

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


strace

strace

strace is a diagnostic, debugging and instructional userspace utility for Linux. It is used to monitor and tamper with interactions between processes and the Linux kernel, including system calls, signal deliveries, and changes of process state.

Categories:
debugging monitoring linux

Strace Features

  1. Traces system calls and signals
  2. Intercepts and prints the system calls executed by a program
  3. Displays the values of parameters passed to and returned from system calls
  4. Can attach to an already running process or start a process and trace it
  5. Can trace child processes spawned by a traced process

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Useful for debugging and troubleshooting programs

Helps identify performance bottlenecks

Lightweight and easy to use

Works on most Linux distributions without needing compilation

Cons

Can slow down execution of traced programs significantly

Generates large trace files quickly

Requires understanding of system calls and signals

Does not work on statically linked programs