ftrace VS strace

Compare ftrace VS strace and see what are their differences

AirDroid Business

AirDroid Business, an enterprise-grade MDM solution, is designed to enable businesses mobility and productivity through remote access and control, device provisioning, policy application and management, kiosk mode, and geofencing. featured

Contents:

» Base Details
» Videos
» Reviews
» Alternatives

ftrace

A function tracer for the Linux kernel.

strace

Trace system calls and signals. A diagnostic, debugging and instructional userspace utility.

Landing page //
2019-05-03

Landing page //
2023-10-05

ftrace

Website: elinux.org

Edit details

strace

Website: sourceforge.net

Edit details

ftrace features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

strace features and specs

Comprehensive System Call Tracing
strace provides detailed insights into all system calls made by a process, which aids in understanding application behavior, debugging, and identifying performance bottlenecks.
Ease of Use
With a simple command-line interface, strace can be quickly employed to start tracing processes without requiring extensive setup or configuration, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
Real-Time Monitoring
strace allows for real-time monitoring of processes, enabling immediate feedback and rapid problem diagnosis during development and testing.
Broad Platform Support
strace is available on numerous Unix-like operating systems, offering consistent functionality across different environments, which is beneficial for cross-platform development.
Versatile Output Options
strace provides various output options, such as filtering specific system calls and summarizing I/O data, which lets users tailor the level of detail according to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of strace

Performance Overhead
strace introduces performance overhead to the traced process, which can affect the application's real-time behavior and lead to inaccurate performance assessment in some scenarios.
High Output Volume
For complex applications, strace can generate a large volume of output, making it challenging to analyze and requiring additional post-processing to extract meaningful insights.
Limited High-Level Insights
While strace excels at monitoring system calls, it does not provide high-level insights into application logic or algorithms, which can limit its utility for certain types of analysis.
Security Concerns
Running strace on a production system may expose sensitive information about application workings and could be misused if not handled with appropriate access controls.
Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
Understanding the vast array of system calls and their implications can be complex for beginners, requiring time to learn and interpret effectively.