ktrace

What is ktrace?

The ktrace utility provides a powerful tool for capturing and analyzing kernel-level trace data for individual processes. By enabling kernel trace logging, developers and system administrators can gain deep insights into the inner workings of their applications, from system call invocations to signal processing and I/O operations. The logged data, stored in the ktrace.out file, can be decoded using the kdump utility, allowing users to thoroughly investigate the runtime behavior of their processes.

Highlights

• Kernel-level trace logging for individual processes
• Capture of system calls, namei translations, signal processing, and I/O operations
• Flexibility to enable/disable tracing on specific processes or across the entire system
• Detailed trace data stored in a binary format for subsequent analysis
• Requires a kernel built with the "KTRACE" option