SystemTap vs strace

Struggling to choose between SystemTap and strace? 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, 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.

SystemTap

SystemTap

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.

Categories:
tracing diagnostics linux

SystemTap Features

  1. Dynamic instrumentation of running Linux kernel
  2. Provides visibility into running kernel and user processes
  3. Scripting language for creating probes
  4. Built-in suite of useful scripts and tapsets
  5. CLI and GUI for running scripts

Pricing

  • Open Source

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


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