---
name: "tep_load_plugins"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libtraceevent"
version: "1:1.9.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/tep_load_plugins"
---

# tep\_load\_plugins(3)

Load / unload traceevent plugins.

## NAME

tep\_load\_plugins, tep\_unload\_plugins, tep\_load\_plugins\_hook, tep\_add\_plugin\_path, tep\_plugin\_add\_option - Load / unload traceevent plugins.

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <event-parse.h>
struct tep_plugin_list *tep_load_plugins(struct tep_handle *tep);
void tep_unload_plugins(struct tep_plugin_list *plugin_list, struct tep_handle *tep);
void tep_load_plugins_hook(struct tep_handle *tep, const char *suffix,
                           void (*load_plugin)(struct tep_handle *tep,
                                               const char *path,
                                               const char *name,
                                               void *data),
                           void *data);
int tep_add_plugin_path(struct tep_handle *tep, char *path,
                          enum tep_plugin_load_priority prio);
int tep_plugin_add_option(const char *name, const char *val);
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **tep\_load\_plugins()** function loads all plugins, located in the plugin directories. The *tep* argument is trace event parser context. The plugin directories are :

```
        - Directories, specified in tep→plugins_dir with priority TEP_PLUGIN_FIRST
        - System’s plugin directory, defined at the library compile time. It
          depends on the library installation prefix and usually is
          (install_preffix)/lib/traceevent/plugins
        - Directory, defined by the environment variable TRACEEVENT_PLUGIN_DIR
        - User’s plugin directory, located at ~/.local/lib/traceevent/plugins
        - Directories, specified in tep→plugins_dir with priority TEP_PLUGIN_LAST
```

Loading of plugins can be controlled by the *tep\_flags*, using the **tep\_set\_flag()** API:

```
        TEP_DISABLE_SYS_PLUGINS       - do not load plugins, located in
                                        the system’s plugin directory.
        TEP_DISABLE_PLUGINS           - do not load any plugins.
```

The **tep\_set\_flag()** API needs to be called before **tep\_load\_plugins()**, if loading of all plugins is not the desired case.

The **tep\_unload\_plugins()** function unloads the plugins, previously loaded by **tep\_load\_plugins()**. The *tep* argument is trace event parser context. The *plugin\_list* is the list of loaded plugins, returned by the **tep\_load\_plugins()** function.

The **tep\_load\_plugins\_hook()** function walks through all directories with plugins and calls user specified **load\_plugin()** hook for each plugin file. Only files with given *suffix* are considered to be plugins. The *data* is a user specified context, passed to **load\_plugin()**. Directories and the walk order are the same as in **tep\_load\_plugins()** API.

The **tep\_add\_plugin\_path()** functions adds additional directories with plugins in the *tep*→plugins\_dir list. It must be called before **tep\_load\_plugins()** in order for the plugins from the new directories to be loaded. The *tep* argument is the trace event parser context. The *path* is the full path to the new plugin directory. The *prio* argument specifies the loading priority order for the new directory of plugins. The loading priority is important in case of different versions of the same plugin located in multiple plugin directories.The last loaded plugin wins. The priority can be:

```
        TEP_PLUGIN_FIRST      - Load plugins from this directory first
        TEP_PLUGIN_LAST       - Load plugins from this directory last
```

Where the plugins in TEP\_PLUGIN\_LAST" will take precedence over the plugins in the other directories.

The **tep\_plugin\_add\_option()** sets options defined by a plugin. The *name* is the name of the option to set to *val*. Plugins can add options to change its behavior and **tep\_plugin\_add\_option()** is used by the application to make those modifications.

## RETURN VALUE

The **tep\_load\_plugins()** function returns a list of successfully loaded plugins, or NULL in case no plugins are loaded. The **tep\_add\_plugin\_path()** function returns -1 in case of an error, 0 otherwise.

## EXAMPLE

```
#include <event-parse.h>
...
struct tep_handle *tep = tep_alloc();
...
tep_add_plugin_path(tep, "~/dev_plugins", TEP_PLUGIN_LAST);
...
struct tep_plugin_list *plugins = tep_load_plugins(tep);
if (plugins == NULL) {
        /* no plugins are loaded */
}
...
tep_unload_plugins(plugins, tep);
...
void print_plugin(struct tep_handle *tep, const char *path,
                  const char *name, void *data)
{
        pritnf("Found libtraceevent plugin %s/%s\n", path, name);
}
...
tep_load_plugins_hook(tep, ".so", print_plugin, NULL);
...
```

## FILES

```
event-parse.h
        Header file to include in order to have access to the library APIs.
-ltraceevent
        Linker switch to add when building a program that uses the library.
```

## SEE ALSO

[**libtraceevent**(3)](/libtraceevent/3.md), [**trace-cmd**(1)](/trace-cmd/1.md), [**tep\_set\_flag**(3)](/tep_set_flag/3.md)

## AUTHOR

```
Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org[1]>, author of libtraceevent.
Tzvetomir Stoyanov <tz.stoyanov@gmail.com[2]>, author of this man page.
```

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<**linux-trace-devel@vger.kernel.org**\[3\]\>

## LICENSE

libtraceevent is Free Software licensed under the GNU LGPL 2.1

## RESOURCES

**https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/libs/libtrace/libtraceevent.git/**

## NOTES

- 1\.

  rostedt@goodmis.org

  mailto:rostedt@goodmis.org

- 2\.

  tz.stoyanov@gmail.com

  mailto:tz.stoyanov@gmail.com

- 3\.

  linux-trace-devel@vger.kernel.org

  mailto:linux-trace-devel@vger.kernel.org