KTRACE(1) | General Commands Manual | KTRACE(1)

# NAME

`ktrace`, `ktruss` — enable kernel process tracing

# SYNOPSIS

`ktrace` | [`-aCcdins`] [`-f` trfile] [`-g` pgrp] [`-p` pid] [`-t` trstr]

`ktrace` | [`-adis`] [`-f` trfile] [`-t` trstr] command

`ktruss` | [`-aCcdilnRT`] [`-e` emulation] [`-f` infile] [`-g` pgrp] [`-m` maxdata] [`-o` outfile] [`-p` pid] [`-t` trstr]

`ktruss` | [`-adinRT`] [`-e` emulation] [`-m` maxdata] [`-o` outfile] [`-t` trstr] [`-v` vers] command

# DESCRIPTION

`ktrace` enables kernel trace logging for the specified processes. Kernel trace data is logged to the file ktrace.out. The kernel operations that are traced include system calls, namei translations, signal processing, and I/O.

Once tracing is enabled on a process, trace data will be logged until either the process exits or the tracepoint is cleared. A traced process can generate enormous amounts of log data quickly. It is strongly suggested that users memorize how to disable tracing before attempting to trace a process. The following command is sufficient to disable tracing on all user owned processes, and, if executed by root, all processes:

`$ ktrace -C`

The trace file is not human readable; use kdump(1) to decode it.

`ktruss` is functionally the same as `ktrace` except that trace output is printed on standard output or to the file specified with the `-o` option. `ktruss` is useful to see the kernel operations interleaved with the program output.

The options are as follows:

`-a`
  Append to the trace file instead of truncating it.
`-C`
  Clear (disable) tracing on all user owned processes, and, if executed by root, all processes in the system.
`-c`
  Clear (disable) the tracepoints associated with the specified file or processes.
`-d`
  Descendants; perform the operation for all current children of the designated processes.
`-e` emulation
  If an emulation of a process is unknown, interpret system call maps assuming the named emulation instead of default "netbsd".
`-f` trfile
  Log trace records to trfile instead of ktrace.out.
`-f` infile
  Read the trace records from infile and print them in a human readable format to standard out.
`-g` pgid
  Enable (disable with `-c`) tracing on all processes in the process group. Only one `-g` flag is permitted.
`-i`
  Inherit; pass the trace flags to all future children of the designated processes.
`-l`
  Poll the trace file for new data and print it to standard out. Only for use together with the `-f` option.
`-m` maxdata
  Print at most maxdata bytes of data. This is used for pointer type arguments, e.g., strings. The data will be escaped in C-style unless `-x` is specified when it will be output in hex and ascii.
`-n`
  Stop tracing if attempts to write to the trace file would block. This option always affects `ktruss` and only affects `ktrace` when writing to `stdout`. If this flag is not set, then the traced program will block until it can write more data to the trace file descriptor.
`-o` outfile
  Log trace records to outfile. Without this option `ktruss` will print its output in a human readable format to standard out.
`-p` pid
  Enable (disable with `-c`) tracing on the indicated process id. Only one `-p` flag is permitted.
`-R`
  Display relative time stamps to output.
`-s`
  Write to the trace file with synchronized I/O.
`-T`
  Same as the `-R` option, but use absolute timestamps instead.
`-t` trstr
  The string argument represents the kernel tracepoints, one per letter. The following table equates the letters with the tracepoints:

  `A`
    trace all tracepoints
  `a`
    trace exec arguments
  `c`
    trace system calls
  `e`
    trace emulation changes
  `f`
    trace open file descriptors after exec
  `i`
    trace I/O
  `n`
    trace namei translations
  `S`
    trace MIB access (sysctl)
  `s`
    trace signal processing
  `u`
    trace user data
  `v`
    trace exec environment
  `w`
    trace context switches
  `+`
    trace the default set of tracepoints (c, e, i, n, s, u)
  `-`
    do not trace following tracepoints
`-v` version
  Determines the version of the file generated. Version 0 is the compatible ktrace format, and version 1 is the new format with lwp IDs and nanosecond (instead of microsecond) timestamps.
command
  Execute command with the specified trace flags.

The `-p`, `-g`, and command options are mutually exclusive. The `-R` and `-T` options are also mutually exclusive.

# EXAMPLES

# trace all kernel operations of process id 34

`$ ktrace -p 34`

    # trace all kernel operations of processes in process group 15 and
    # pass the trace flags to all current and future children

`$ ktrace -idg 15`

# disable all tracing of process 65

`$ ktrace -cp 65`

# disable tracing signals on process 70 and all current children

`$ ktrace -t s -cdp 70`

# enable tracing of I/O on process 67

`$ ktrace -ti -p 67`

# run the command "w", tracing only system calls

`$ ktrace -tc w`

# disable all tracing to the file "tracedata"

`$ ktrace -c -f tracedata`

# disable tracing of all processes owned by the user

`$ ktrace -C`

# run the command "w", displaying to standard output

`$ ktruss w`

# trace process 42 and log the records to "ktruss.out"

`$ ktruss -p 42 -o ktruss.out`

# poll ktruss.out for available records and print them

`$ ktruss -lf ktruss.out`

# SEE ALSO

kdump(1), ktrace(2)

# HISTORY

The `ktrace` command appeared in 4.4BSD. The `ktruss` command appeared in NetBSD 1.5.

March 29, 2020 | NetBSD 10.99