Profiling
Core Technology
We all want our programs to run fast. With profiling, you can locate the code that is slowing you down and fix it.
While hardware becomes faster and faster, the software it runs becomes slower and slower. Although this is a joke, it carries a bit of truth. Quite often, the software uses suboptimal algorithms, introduces costly abstractions, or misses hardware caches. This is okay most of the time, because hardware is forgiving and has enough capacity for many tasks. The rest of the time, you want your code to perform as fast as possible.
Optimizing a program is not the same as rewriting it from scratch the right way. The majority of code is generally not in the "hot path." It's executed only once in awhile during the program's lifetime, and investing optimization efforts into these parts will never pay off. So, you need a tool to tell you which code paths are consuming most of the CPU time.
A technique called "profiling" comes into play here. You build an execution profile of the program (hence the name) that tells you which functions the program runs and how much time they take; then, you look at the profile and decide what you can do about it. While the last step is a bit of an art, the first step just requires a tool that is essential to any developer. Luckily, Linux offers several such tools.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Framework Laptop 13 Pro Competes with the Best
Framework has released what might be considered the MacBook of Linux devices.
-
The Latest CachyOS Features Supercharged Kernel
The latest release of CachyOS brings with it an enhanced version of the latest Linux kernel.
-
Kernel 7.0 Is a Bit More Rusty
Linux kernel 7.0 has been released for general availability, with Rust finally getting its due.
-
France Says "Au Revoir" to Microsoft
In a move that should surprise no one, France announced plans to reduce its reliance on US technology, and Microsoft Windows is the first to get the boot.
-
CIQ Releases Compatibility Catalog for Rocky Linux
The company behind Rocky Linux is making an open catalog available to developers, hobbyists, and other contributors, so they can verify and publish compatibility with the CIQ lineup.
-
KDE Gets Some Resuscitation
KDE is bringing back two themes that vanished a few years ago, putting a bit more air under its wings.
-
Ubuntu 26.04 Beta Arrives with Some Surprises
Ubuntu 26.04 is almost here, but the beta version has been released, and it might surprise some people.
-
Ubuntu MATE Dev Leaving After 12 years
Martin Wimpress, the maintainer of Ubuntu MATE, is now searching for his successor. Are you the next in line?
-
Kali Linux Waxes Nostalgic with BackTrack Mode
For those who've used Kali Linux since its inception, the changes with the new release are sure to put a smile on your face.
-
Gnome 50 Smooths Out NVIDIA GPU Issues
Gamers rejoice, your favorite pastime just got better with Gnome 50 and NVIDIA GPUs.