Bootchart

Bootchart: Performance Profiling Tool for Linux

Boots a Linux system with profiling tools to analyze the boot process, generating charts that visualize init scripts, programs, and kernel modules execution timing.

What is Bootchart?

Bootchart is an open source application used to measure the boot performance of Linux systems. It enables profiling of the boot process by tracing system calls and process information to create visual charts.

When enabled, Bootchart collects data starting from the kernel initialization all the way until the system is fully booted and idle. This data includes details such as:

• Start/end times of all processes and drivers
• Disk reads/writes
• CPU utilization
• Memory usage

After the system startup completes, Bootchart generates comprehensive image charts in PNG or SVG format showing a detailed breakdown of the boot tasks and how they progressed over time. The output charts have blocks for the kernel initialization, system services startup, and user mode processes coming online.

Examining these charts helps analyze the boot performance, identify any bottlenecks, and optimize specific aspects of the system boot process. Bootchart is useful for speeding up boot times for Linux distributions and embedded devices.

Bootchart Features

Official Links