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

# pmerr(1)

translate Performance Co-Pilot error codes into error messages

## NAME

**pmerr** - translate Performance Co-Pilot error codes into error messages

## SYNOPSIS

**pmerr** \[**-?**\] *code* ...\
 **pmerr** **-l**

## DESCRIPTION

**pmerr** accepts standard Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) error codes via the *code* argument(s) and generates the corresponding error text.

Each *code* may be an integer, a hexadecimal value or a hexadecimal value prefixed by either \`\`0x'' or \`\`0X''.

Error codes must be less than zero, so if *code* is a positive number, a warning message is produced, and the negated value is used.

## OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

- **-l**, **--list**

  This alternative invocation causes all known error codes to be listed, along with their symbolic names and error text.

- **-?**, **--help**

  Display usage message and exit.

## 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

[**PMAPI**(3)](/PMAPI/3.md), [**pmErrStr**(3)](/pmErrStr/3.md), [**pcp.conf**(5)](/pcp.conf/5.md) and [**pcp.env**(5)](/pcp.env/5.md).