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

# pmlogpaste(1)

paste text into a metric in a PCP archive

## NAME

**pmlogpaste** - paste text into a metric in a PCP archive

## SYNOPSIS

**pmlogpaste** \[**-?**\] \[**-f** *file*\] \[**-h** *hostname*\] \[**-l** *label*\] \[**-m** *metric*\] \[**-o** *outfile*\] \[**-t** *timezone*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**pmlogpaste** takes input text from a file or the command line, and writes it as a metric value in a new PCP archive. This metric value is timestamped with the current time, and is stored as a string type metric.

The main purpose of this tool is to take captured output and preserve this in a PCP archive. This allows, for example, the output of a benchmark run to be stored along with performance metrics captured during that run, in a single archive. Archives can be merged using the [**pmlogextract**(1)](/pmlogextract/1.md) utility.

**pmlogpaste** uses the [**LOGIMPORT**(3)](/LOGIMPORT/3.md) library interfaces internally, which support the creation of archives from external sources of performance data.

## OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

- **-f** *file*, **--file**=*file*

  File with input text to be archived, or \`\`-'' for standard input.

- **-h** *hostname*, **--hostname**=*hostname*

  Source host name for the archive. The default value is the local host name, or \`\`localhost'' if that cannot be obtained.

- **-l** *label*, **--label**=*label*

  Add context labels to the generated archive. This option can be presented multiple times to produce multiple labels in the archive. The *label* should be in the form *name:value*.

- **-m** *metric*, **--metric**=*metric*

  Metric name for the archive. The default metric name is *paste.value*.

- **-o** *outfile*, **--outfile**=*outfile*

  Archive output file. The default archive name is *paste*.

- **-t** *timezone*, **--timezone**=*timezone*

  Source timezone for the archive archive. The default value is the local timezone.

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

[**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md), [**pmlogextract**(1)](/pmlogextract/1.md) and [**LOGIMPORT**(3)](/LOGIMPORT/3.md).