NAME¶

pfunct - Shows function information in debug information.

SYNOPSIS¶

pfunct [options] files

DESCRIPTION¶

pfunct shows functions, their parameters and associated statistics encoded in debugging information formats, DWARF and BTF being supported.

The files must have associated debugging information. This information may be inside the file itself, in ELF sections, or in another file.

One way to have this information is to specify the -g option to the compiler when building it. When this is done the information will be stored in an ELF section. For the DWARF debugging information format this, adds, among others, the .debug_info ELF section. For CTF it is found in just one ELF section, .SUNW_ctf. BTF comes in at least the .BTF ELF section, and may come also with the .BTF.ext ELF section.

The debuginfo packages available in most Linux distributions are also supported by pfunct, where the debugging information is available in a separate file.

If no files are specified, then it will look if the /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux is present, using the BTF information present in it about the running kernel, i.e. this works:

$ pfunct ip_send_skb
int ip_send_skb(struct net * net, struct sk_buff * skb);

Alternatively a file can be specified

$ pfunct --format_path=dwarf ip_send_skb /path/2/vmlinux
int ip_send_skb(struct net * net, struct sk_buff * skb);

Split BTF, such as the BTF for a kernel module, references types in a base BTF, normally the BTF for vmlinux. Use --btf_base to supply that base BTF when loading a detached split-BTF file. For files under /sys/kernel/btf/ other than vmlinux itself, pfunct automatically uses /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux as the base BTF.

OPTIONS¶

pfunct supports the following options.

-C, --class_name=CLASS_NAMES

Show just these classes. This can be a comma separated list of class names or file URLs (e.g.: file://class_list.txt)

-a, --addr=ADDR

Show just the function where ADDR is.

-a,--all

Show all the functions that match the filter, or show all function prototypes if no filter is specified.

-b,--expand_types

Expand types needed by the prototype.

-c,--class=CLASS

Filter for functions that have CLASS pointer parameters.

-E,--externals

Show just external functions (DWARF only).

-f,--function=FUNCTION

Show just FUNCTION.

-F, --format_path

Allows specifying a list of debugging formats to try, in order. Right now this includes "btf", "ctf" and "dwarf". The default format path used is equivalent to "-F dwarf,btf,ctf".

--btf_base=PATH

Use PATH as the base BTF when loading split BTF. If no format path is given, this selects BTF loading. This option is not needed for kernel module BTF read from /sys/kernel/btf/MODULE, where the vmlinux BTF is selected automatically.

-g,--goto_labels

Show number of goto labels (DWARF only).

-G--cc_unlinlined

Declared inline, uninlined by the compiler (DWARF only).

-H, --cc_inlined

Not declared inline, inlined by compiler (DWARF only).

-i, --inline_expansions

Show inline expansion stats (DWARF only).

-l, --decl_info

Show source code info.

-t, --total_inline_stats

Show multi-CU total inline expansion stats (DWARF only).

-s, --sizes

Show sizes of functions.

-N,--function_name_len

Show size of function names.

-p, --nr_parms

Show number of parameters.

-P, --show_function_prototypes

Show function prototypes.

-S, --nr_variables

Show number of variables.

-T, --variables

Show variables.

-V, --verbose

Be verbose.

--symtab=NAME

Show symbol table NAME (default .symtab).

--compile

Generate compilable source code with types expanded (Default all functions).

--no_parm_names

Do not show parameter names.

NOTES¶

To enable the generation of debugging information in the Linux kernel build process select CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO. This can be done using make menuconfig by this path: "Kernel Hacking" -> "Compile-time checks and compiler options" -> "Compile the kernel with debug info". Consider as well enabling CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF by going thru the aforementioned menuconfig path and then selecting "Generate BTF typeinfo". Most modern distributions with eBPF support should come with that in all its kernels, greatly facilitating the use of pahole.

Many distributions also come with debuginfo packages, so just enable it in your package manager repository configuration and install the kernel-debuginfo, or any other userspace program written in a language that the compiler generates debuginfo (C, C++, for instance).

EXAMPLES¶

Show a function (using /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux):

$ pfunct ip_send_skb
int ip_send_skb(struct net * net, struct sk_buff * skb);
$

Show a function in DWARF in file vmlinux

$ pfunct --format_path=DWARF ip_send_skb vmlinux
int ip_send_skb(struct net * net, struct sk_buff * skb);

Show all functions in detached split BTF using its vmlinux base:

$ pfunct --btf_base=vmlinux.btf --all module.btf
...

Show functions that were not declared with "inline" but were inlined:

$ pfunct --cc_inlined ~/src/bpf-next/vmlinux
clean_cache_range
copy_from_user_nmi
__insn_get_emulate_prefix

SEE ALSO¶

pahole(1), readelf(1), objdump(1).

Please send bug reports to <dwarves@vger.kernel.org>.

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