howto - use bootchart to profile your system or an app

[gnudude]

Install bootchart and bootchart-view

To use bootchart to profile your system at boot time :
1 - edit /boot/grub/menu.lst file and add init=/sbin/bootchartd to the kernel line so it looks something like:
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=/dev/sda2 ro init=/sbin/bootchartd
2 - reboot and it will generate a file /var/log/bootchart.tgz file
3 - convert that file to a png
bootchart -f png
4 - copy that file to your home directory
cp /var/log/bootchart.png ~/
5 - look in your home directory for the bootchart.png file


To use bootchart to profile a running system :
1 - make a folder
mkdir ~/tmp
2 - copy the configuration file to that folder
cp /etc/bootchartd.conf ~/tmp
3 - edit the configuration file and change the BOOTLOG_DEST to that folder
BOOTLOG_DEST=~/tmp/bootchart.tgz
4 - change to that directory
cd tmp/
5 - profile the system - for 5 seconds in this example
/sbin/bootchartd start; sleep 5; /sbin/bootchartd stop
6 - create your bootchart
bootchart bootchart.tgz -f png
7 - look in the tmp folder in your home directory for the boochart.png image

To use bootchart to profile a application :
1 - make a folder
mkdir ~/tmp
2 - copy the configuration file to that folder
cp /etc/bootchartd.conf ~/tmp
3 - edit the configuration file and change the BOOTLOG_DEST to that folder
BOOTLOG_DEST=~/tmp/bootchart.tgz
4 - change to that directory
cd tmp/
5 - profile the application - konqueror in this example
/sbin/bootchartd start konqueror
6 - create your bootchart
bootchart bootchart.tgz -f png
7 - look in the tmp folder in your home directory for the boochart.png image

Thats all folks...

[eec]

To use bootchart in grub2 which file should be editted, grub.cfg or 10_linux template?
In an wiki page its suggested to edit cfg file, however in the cfg file and in other places it is always said not to edit it.

eec

[nadir]

this how-to:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2
says it is /etc/default/grub.
i edited /etc/grub/grub.cfg and saved with : x! from vi (to force it), but any update of that file will delete this setting (i only wanted to run it once, so it didnt matter)

[Rolling Stone]

I have done this. I just never could quite figure out what to do with the pretty graph.

[refracta]

brag about how fast your system is AND actually have something to prove it

[Rolling Stone]

Anybody got a GIMP tutorial at hand?

[refracta]

shhh....dont give away the secret to my 12 second boot time

[milomak]

i should test this out

[coldReactive]

I'm on debian testing (Squeeze or whatever), and trying to install bootchart...

Code: Select all

Package bootchart is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package bootchart has no installation candidate

bootchart-view package doesn't exist.

[Rolling Stone]

Both packages (of course) do exist.

You might want to take a look at your sources file. (/etc/apt/sources.list)

[coldReactive]

Both packages (of course) do exist.

You might want to take a look at your sources file. (/etc/apt/sources.list)

Here's what that says:

Code: Select all

# deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib

deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib

deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile squeeze/volatile main contrib
deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile squeeze/volatile main contrib

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org squeeze main non-free contrib

[nadir]

i can't find a squeeze version on the linked site neither. you might install it from sid. i wouldn't say its worth the trouble.
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... ilit=mixed

[Rolling Stone]

Sorry! For misleading you. You guys are right and I'm so wrong.

Maybe I should get some more sleep...

[coldReactive]

i can't find a squeeze version on the linked site neither. you might install it from sid. i wouldn't say its worth the trouble.
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... ilit=mixed

Indeed. That isn't worth the trouble.