---
name: "trace-cmd"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "trace-cmd"
version: "3.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/trace-cmd"
---

# trace-cmd(1)

interacts with Ftrace Linux kernel internal tracer

## NAME

trace-cmd - interacts with Ftrace Linux kernel internal tracer

## SYNOPSIS

**trace-cmd** *COMMAND* \[*OPTIONS*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The [trace-cmd(1)](/trace-cmd/1.md) command interacts with the Ftrace tracer that is built inside the Linux kernel. It interfaces with the Ftrace specific files found in the debugfs file system under the tracing directory. A *COMMAND* must be specified to tell trace-cmd what to do.

## COMMANDS

```
record  - record a live trace and write a trace.dat file to the
          local disk or to the network.
```

```
set     - set a ftrace configuration parameter.
```

```
report  - reads a trace.dat file and converts the binary data to a
          ASCII text readable format.
```

```
stream  - Start tracing and read the output directly
```

```
profile - Start profiling and read the output directly
```

```
hist    - show a histogram of the events.
```

```
stat    - show tracing (ftrace) status of the running system
```

```
options - list the plugin options that are available to *report*
```

```
start   - start the tracing without recording to a trace.dat file.
```

```
stop    - stop tracing (only disables recording, overhead of tracer
          is still in effect)
```

```
restart - restart tracing from a previous stop (only effects recording)
```

```
extract - extract the data from the kernel buffer and create a trace.dat
          file.
```

```
show    - display the contents of one of the Ftrace Linux kernel tracing files
```

```
reset   - disables all tracing and gives back the system performance.
          (clears all data from the kernel buffers)
```

```
clear   - clear the content of the Ftrace ring buffers.
```

```
split   - splits a trace.dat file into smaller files.
```

```
list    - list the available plugins or events that can be recorded.
```

```
listen  - open up a port to listen for remote tracing connections.
```

```
agent   - listen on a vsocket for trace clients
```

```
setup-guest - create FIFOs for tracing guest VMs
```

```
restore - restore the data files of a crashed run of trace-cmd record
```

```
snapshot- take snapshot of running trace
```

```
stack   - run and display the stack tracer
```

```
check-events - parse format strings for all trace events and return
               whether all formats are parseable
```

```
convert   - convert trace files
```

```
attach   - attach a host trace.dat file to a guest trace.dat file
```

```
dump    - read out the meta data from a trace file
```

## OPTIONS

- **-h**, --help

  Display the help text.

Other options see the man page for the corresponding command.

## SEE ALSO

[trace-cmd-record(1)](/trace-cmd-record/1.md), [trace-cmd-report(1)](/trace-cmd-report/1.md), [trace-cmd-hist(1)](/trace-cmd-hist/1.md), [trace-cmd-start(1)](/trace-cmd-start/1.md), [trace-cmd-stop(1)](/trace-cmd-stop/1.md), [trace-cmd-extract(1)](/trace-cmd-extract/1.md), [trace-cmd-reset(1)](/trace-cmd-reset/1.md), [trace-cmd-restore(1)](/trace-cmd-restore/1.md), [trace-cmd-stack(1)](/trace-cmd-stack/1.md), [trace-cmd-convert(1)](/trace-cmd-convert/1.md), [trace-cmd-split(1)](/trace-cmd-split/1.md), [trace-cmd-list(1)](/trace-cmd-list/1.md), [trace-cmd-listen(1)](/trace-cmd-listen/1.md), [trace-cmd.dat(5)](/trace-cmd.dat/5.md), [trace-cmd-check-events(1)](/trace-cmd-check-events/1.md), [trace-cmd-stat(1)](/trace-cmd-stat/1.md), [trace-cmd-attach(1)](/trace-cmd-attach/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Written by Steven Rostedt, \<**rostedt@goodmis.org**\[1\]\>

## RESOURCES

**https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/trace-cmd/trace-cmd.git/**

## COPYING

Copyright (C) 2010 Red Hat, Inc. Free use of this software is granted under the terms of the GNU Public License (GPL).

## NOTES

- 1\.

  rostedt@goodmis.org

  mailto:rostedt@goodmis.org