---
name: "btrace"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/btrace"
---

# btrace(8)

bug tracer

## NAME

**btrace** – bug tracer

## SYNOPSIS

**btrace** \[**-lnv**\] *programfile* \| **-e** *program* \[*argument* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **btrace** utility provides an interface to inspect the internals of the system and programs. It interprets the [bt(5)](/bt/5.md) program read from the *programfile*, passing the optional *arguments* to it, and communicates with the dynamic tracer device using the interface described in [dt(4)](/dt/4.md).

The options are as follows:

- **-e** *program*

  Execute the *program* specified as the option argument instead of reading a program from a file. In this case, all non-option *arguments* are passed through to the *program*.

- **-l**

  List all available probes.

- **-n**

  No action. Parse the program and then exit.

- **-v**

  Verbose mode. Causes **btrace** to print debugging messages. Multiple **-v** options increase the verbosity. The maximum is 2.

## FILES

- */usr/share/btrace/\**

  collection of useful **btrace** programs

## EXIT STATUS

The **btrace** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## SEE ALSO

[dt(4)](/dt/4.md), [bt(5)](/bt/5.md)

## HISTORY

The **btrace** utility first appeared in OpenBSD 6.7.

## AUTHORS

Martin Pieuchot ⟨*mpi@openbsd.org*⟩