---
name: "chkhelp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "7.2.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/chkhelp"
---

# chkhelp(1)

check performance metrics help text files

## NAME

**chkhelp** - check performance metrics help text files

## SYNOPSIS

**$PCP\_BINADM\_DIR/chkhelp** \[**-eHiOp?**\] \[**-D** *debug*\] \[**-n** *pmnsfile*\] *helpfile* \[*metricname* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**chkhelp** checks the consistency of Performance Co-Pilot help text files generated by [**newhelp**(1)](/newhelp/1.md) and used by Performance Metric Domain Agents (PMDAs). The checking involves scanning the files, and optionally displaying selected entries.

The files *helpfile***.dir** and *helpfile***.pag** are created by [**newhelp**(1)](/newhelp/1.md), and are assumed to already exist.

Without any options or *metricname* arguments, **chkhelp** silently verifies the structural integrity of the help files.

If any *metricname* arguments are specified, then the help entries for only the corresponding metrics will be processed.

If no *metricname* arguments are specified, then at least one of the options **-i** or **-p** must be given. The **-i** option causes entries for all instance domains to be processed (ignoring entries for performance metrics). The **-p** option causes entries for all metrics to be displayed (ignoring entries for instance domains).

When metric entries are to be processed (via either the *metricname* arguments or the **-p** option or the **-i** option), the **-O** and **-H** options request the display of the one-line and verbose help text respectively. The default is **-O**.

Normally **chkhelp** operates on the default Performance Metrics Name Space (PMNS), however if the **-n** option is specified an alternative namespace is loaded from the file *pmnsfile*.

The **-e** option provides an existence check where all of the specified metrics from the PMNS (note, not from *helpfile*) are scanned, and only the names of the metrics for which **no** help text exists are reported. The **-e** option is mutually exclusive with the **-i** and/or **-p** options.

## OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

- **-e**

  Report metrics with no help text.

- **-H**

  Display verbose help text and exit.

- **-i**

  Process all the instance domains.

- **-n** *pmnsfile*

  Load an alternative Performance Metrics Name Space ([**PMNS**(5)](/PMNS/5.md)) from the file *pmnsfile*.

- **-O**

  Display the one line help summary.

- **-p**

  Process all the metrics (PMIDs).

- **-?**

  Display usage message and exit.

## DIAGNOSTICS

There are all sorts of reasons a help database may be inconsistent, the most likely is that a performance metric in the database is not defined in the loaded PMNS.

## PCP ENVIRONMENT

Environment variables with the prefix **PCP\_** are used to parameterize the file and directory names used by PCP. On each installation, the file */etc/pcp.conf* contains the local values for these variables. The **$PCP\_CONF** variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration file, as described in [**pcp.conf**(5)](/pcp.conf/5.md).

For environment variables affecting PCP tools, see [**pmGetOptions**(3)](/pmGetOptions/3.md).

## DEBUGGING OPTIONS

The **-D** or **--debug** option enables the output of additional diagnostics on *stderr* to help triage problems, although the information is sometimes cryptic and primarily intended to provide guidance for developers rather than for end-users. *debug* is a comma separated list of debugging options; use [**pmdbg**(1)](/pmdbg/1.md) with the **-l** option to obtain a list of the available debugging options and their meaning.

## SEE ALSO

[**newhelp**(1)](/newhelp/1.md), [**PMAPI**(3)](/PMAPI/3.md), [**pmLookupInDomText**(3)](/pmLookupInDomText/3.md), [**pmLookupText**(3)](/pmLookupText/3.md), [**pcp.conf**(5)](/pcp.conf/5.md), [**pcp.env**(5)](/pcp.env/5.md) and [**PMNS**(5)](/PMNS/5.md).