SystemTap vs ltrace

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

SystemTap is a Development solution with tags like tracing, diagnostics, linux.

It boasts features such as Dynamic instrumentation of running Linux kernel, Provides visibility into running kernel and user processes, Scripting language for creating probes, Built-in suite of useful scripts and tapsets, CLI and GUI for running scripts and pros including Powerful diagnostics and troubleshooting, No need to recompile or reboot kernel, Tapsets provide reusable instrumentation, Scripting allows custom probes, CLI and GUI interfaces.

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	SystemTap	ltrace
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

SystemTap

Description: SystemTap is an open source scripting language and tool for dynamically tracing Linux systems. It provides information about a running Linux system to help diagnose performance or functional problems.

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

SystemTap Features

• Dynamic instrumentation of running Linux kernel
• Provides visibility into running kernel and user processes
• Scripting language for creating probes
• Built-in suite of useful scripts and tapsets
• CLI and GUI for running scripts

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

SystemTap

Pros

• Powerful diagnostics and troubleshooting
• No need to recompile or reboot kernel
• Tapsets provide reusable instrumentation
• Scripting allows custom probes
• CLI and GUI interfaces

Cons

• Requires debug symbols for kernel modules
• Scripting language has learning curve
• Overhead from instrumentation
• Not all kernel versions supported

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

SystemTap

• Open Source

ltrace

• Open Source