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

# pmdabpftrace(1)

bpftrace PMDA

## NAME

**pmdabpftrace** - bpftrace PMDA

## DESCRIPTION

**pmdabpftrace** is a Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) Performance Metrics Domain Agent (PMDA) which exports metrics from [**bpftrace**(8)](/bpftrace/8.md) scripts.

## CONFIGURATION

**pmdabpftrace** reads an optional ini-style configuration file:

-

  -

  *`$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/bpftrace/bpftrace.conf*

This file may contain **\[bpftrace\]** and **\[dynamic\_scripts\]** sections. If you enable the **dynamic scripts** functionality, please refer to **https://pcp.io/docs/lab.auth.html** on how to setup authentication. This is **highly recommended**, as otherwise anyone could run any [**bpftrace**(8)](/bpftrace/8.md) script as **root**.

**\[bpftrace\]** section specifies values for the following settings (their default values are shown in parenthesis):

- **bpftrace\_path (*bpftrace*)**

  Path to the [**bpftrace**(8)](/bpftrace/8.md) executable.

- **script\_expiry\_time (*60*)**

  Unnamed scripts are removed after this period of time (in seconds) in case there has been no requests for their values.

- **max\_throughput (*2097152*)**

  Maximum throughput of bpftrace scripts in bytes.

**\[dynamic\_scripts\]** section specifies values for the following settings (their default values are shown in parenthesis):

- **enabled (*false*)**

  A boolean value to specify whether script should be started on demand, by executing pmStore (3) bpftrace.control.register. This feature needs to be enabled for the PCP bpftrace datasource in grafana-pcp.

- **auth\_enabled (*true*)**

  A boolean value to specify whether authentication is required or not. Please see the note above on authentication setup.

- **allowed\_users (*root*)**

  A comma-separated list of usernames which are allowed to register [**bpftrace**(8)](/bpftrace/8.md) scripts.

## INSTALLATION

To install, the following must be done as root:

```
# cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/bpftrace
# ./Install
```

To uninstall, the following must be done as root:

```
# cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/bpftrace
# ./Remove
```

**pmdabpftrace** is launched by [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md) and should never be executed directly. The **Install** and **Remove** scripts notify [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md) when the agent is installed or removed.

## FILES

- *`$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/bpftrace/bpftrace.conf*

  configuration file for the **pmdabpftrace** agent

- *`$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/bpftrace/Install*

  installation script for the **pmdabpftrace** agent

- *`$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/bpftrace/Remove*

  undo installation script for the **pmdabpftrace** agent

- *`$PCP_LOG_DIR`/pmcd/bpftrace.log*

  default log file for messages from the **pmdabpftrace** agent

Note that the usual/default value for **$PCP\_PMDAS\_DIR** is **/var/lib/pcp/pmdas** and the default for **$PCP\_LOG\_DIR** is **/var/log/pcp** but these settings are platform dependent.

## 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

[**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md) and [**bpftrace**(8)](/bpftrace/8.md).