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

# mkaf(1)

create a Performance Co-Pilot archive folio

## NAME

**mkaf** - create a Performance Co-Pilot archive folio

## SYNOPSIS

**$PCP\_BINADM\_DIR/mkaf** \[**-?**\] \[*findopts*\] *filename* ...

## DESCRIPTION

A collection of one or more Performance Co-Pilot (see [**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md)) archives may be combined with **mkaf** to produce a PCP archive folio and the associated archive folio control file. Some PCP tools use **mkaf** to create archive folios, e.g. the \`\`record'' facility in the [**pmchart**(1)](/pmchart/1.md) and [**pmview**(1)](/pmview/1.md) tools, to facilitate playback with [**pmafm**(1)](/pmafm/1.md).

**mkaf** processes each *filename* argument, and if this is a component file from a PCP archive that archive is added to the folio.

If *filename* is a directory, then this is searched recursively using [**find**(1)](/find/1.md). Any *filename* argument beginning with a \`\`-'' is assumed to be a [**find**(1)](/find/1.md) command line option (*findopts*); the default is **-follow** if no *findopts* are specified.

The first named archive in the folio is assumed to be associated with the default host for any tool that tries to replay multiple archives from the folio.

The folio control file is written to standard output, and has the following format.

- 1\.

  The first line contains the word **PCPFolio**.

- 2\.

  The second line contains the tag **Version:** followed by the format version number (currently 1).

- 3\.

  For subsequent lines, blank lines and lines beginning with \`\`#'' are ignored.

- 4\.

  The line beginning with the tag **Created:** documents where and when the folio was created.

- 5\.

  The line beginning with the tag **Creator:** identifies the tool which created the folio (and is assumed to know how to replay the archive folio). If present, the second argument is the name of a configuration file that the creator tool could use to replay the archive folio, e.g. with the **replay** command for [**pmafm**(1)](/pmafm/1.md). In the case of **mkaf** (unlike [**pmchart**(1)](/pmchart/1.md) or [**pmview**(1)](/pmview/1.md)) there is no knowledge of the contents of the archives, so the \`\`creator'' cannot replay the archive, however [**pmchart**(1)](/pmchart/1.md) is able to replay any archive, and so this tool is identified as the **Creator:** for archive folios created by [**mkaf**(1)](/mkaf/1.md).

- 6\.

  This is then followed by one or more lines beginning with the tag **Archive:** followed by the hostname and base name of the archive.

For example $ mkaf mydir/gonzo\
 might produce the following folio control file.

```
PCPFolio
Version: 1
# use pmafm(1) to process this PCP archive folio
#
Created: on gonzo at Tue Jul  2 03:35:54 EST 1996
Creator: pmchart
#               Host                    Basename
#
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960627
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960628
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960629
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960630
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960701
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960701.00.10
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960701.05.25
Archive:        gonzo                   mydir/gonzo/960702.00.10
```

## OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

- **-?**

  Display usage message and exit.

- *-findopts*

  Options to be passed to [**find**(1)](/find/1.md). The default is **-follow**.

## DIAGNOSTICS

Some informational messages, warnings and pathological conditions are reported on standard error.

## 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).

## SEE ALSO

[**find**(1)](/find/1.md), [**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**pmafm**(1)](/pmafm/1.md), [**pmchart**(1)](/pmchart/1.md), [**pmview**(1)](/pmview/1.md), [**pcp.conf**(5)](/pcp.conf/5.md) and [**pcp.env**(5)](/pcp.env/5.md).