---
name: "perf"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "perf"
version: "7.3.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/perf"
---

# perf(1)

Performance analysis tools for Linux

## NAME

perf - Performance analysis tools for Linux

## SYNOPSIS

```
perf [--version] [--help] [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]
```

## OPTIONS

- \-h, --help

  Run perf help command.

- \-v, --version

  Display perf version.

- \-vv

  Print the compiled-in status of libraries.

- \--exec-path

  Display or set exec path.

- \--html-path

  Display html documentation path.

- \-p, --paginate

  Set up pager.

- \--no-pager

  Do not set pager.

- \--buildid-dir

  Setup buildid cache directory. It has higher priority than buildid.dir config file option.

- \--list-cmds

  List the most commonly used perf commands.

- \--list-opts

  List available perf options.

- \--debugfs-dir

  Set debugfs directory or set environment variable PERF\_DEBUGFS\_DIR.

- \--debug

  Setup debug variable (see list below) in value range (0, 10). Use like: --debug verbose # sets verbose = 1 --debug verbose=2 # sets verbose = 2

  ```
  List of debug variables allowed to set:
    verbose          - general debug messages
    ordered-events   - ordered events object debug messages
    data-convert     - data convert command debug messages
    stderr           - write debug output (option -v) to stderr
                       in browser mode
    perf-event-open  - Print perf_event_open() arguments and
                       return value
    kmaps            - Print kernel and module maps (perf script
                       and perf report without browser)
  ```

- \--debug-file

  Write debug output to a specified file.

## DESCRIPTION

Performance counters for Linux are a new kernel-based subsystem that provide a framework for all things performance analysis. It covers hardware level (CPU/PMU, Performance Monitoring Unit) features and software features (software counters, tracepoints) as well.

## SEE ALSO

[**perf-stat**(1)](/perf-stat/1.md), [**perf-top**(1)](/perf-top/1.md), [**perf-record**(1)](/perf-record/1.md), [**perf-report**(1)](/perf-report/1.md), [**perf-list**(1)](/perf-list/1.md)

[**perf-amd-ibs**(1)](/perf-amd-ibs/1.md), [**perf-annotate**(1)](/perf-annotate/1.md), [**perf-archive**(1)](/perf-archive/1.md), [**perf-arm-spe**(1)](/perf-arm-spe/1.md), [**perf-bench**(1)](/perf-bench/1.md), [**perf-buildid-cache**(1)](/perf-buildid-cache/1.md), [**perf-buildid-list**(1)](/perf-buildid-list/1.md), [**perf-c2c**(1)](/perf-c2c/1.md), [**perf-config**(1)](/perf-config/1.md), [**perf-data**(1)](/perf-data/1.md), [**perf-diff**(1)](/perf-diff/1.md), [**perf-evlist**(1)](/perf-evlist/1.md), [**perf-ftrace**(1)](/perf-ftrace/1.md), [**perf-help**(1)](/perf-help/1.md), [**perf-inject**(1)](/perf-inject/1.md), [**perf-intel-pt**(1)](/perf-intel-pt/1.md), [**perf-iostat**(1)](/perf-iostat/1.md), [**perf-kallsyms**(1)](/perf-kallsyms/1.md), [**perf-kmem**(1)](/perf-kmem/1.md), [**perf-kvm**(1)](/perf-kvm/1.md), [**perf-lock**(1)](/perf-lock/1.md), [**perf-mem**(1)](/perf-mem/1.md), [**perf-probe**(1)](/perf-probe/1.md), [**perf-sched**(1)](/perf-sched/1.md), [**perf-script**(1)](/perf-script/1.md), [**perf-test**(1)](/perf-test/1.md), [**perf-trace**(1)](/perf-trace/1.md), [**perf-version**(1)](/perf-version/1.md)