DYLIBPROF(1)

NAME
dylibprof - control the shared pc sampling of a dynamic shared library

SYNOPSIS
dylibprof [-e | -d] | [-c | -r | -b | -h | -p [-o <file>] <dylib>]

DESCRIPTION
Dylibprof along with the server /usr/libexec/profileServer allows shared program counter sampling of a dynamic shared library across all the programs that use the library.

To use dylibprof(1), /usr/libexec/profileServer must be running. So first start /usr/libexec/profileServer and leave it running in the back ground:
	% /usr/libexec/profileServer >& /dev/console &

/usr/libexec/profileServer starts up with shared pc sampling disabled. It should not be left running with shared pc sampling enabled if no sampling is being done as every launch of a program that uses the dynamic linker is effected. This is true even to a small extent if there no libraries being sampled.

If you need to profile from boot up for all processes then the following line can be added to /etc/bootstrap.conf:
	server "/usr/libexec/profileServer" services NSProfileServer NSProfileControl;

Before any dynamic shared library can be sampled sampling must be enabled as
follows:
	% dylibprof -e

It can then later be disabled when no more sampling is to be done with:
	% dylibprof -d

EXAMPLE
To sample the dynamic shared library /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System for example requires the following steps. First create a sample buffer for the library:
	% dylibprof -c /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System

Then begin the sampling:
	% dylibprof -b /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System
After this programs launched using this library will be part of the shared pc sampling. Typlically what would be done is to then use the system normally for a number of hours.

Then to halt the sampling:
	% dylibprof -h /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System

The profiling output file (a gmon.out file) can be created with:
	% dylibprof -p -o /tmp/gmon.out /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System

Using the profiling output file and the library a profile listing and a time based order file (time.order) can be created with: gprof(1):
	% gprof -S /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System /tmp/gmon.out

When no more sampling for this library is to be done the sample buffer can be
removed with:
	% dylibprof -r /System/Library/Frameworks/System.framework/Versions/B/System

The options are:

-e  Enable shared program counter sampling for dynamic libraries.

-d  Disable shared program counter sampling for dynamic libraries.

-c  Create a pc sample buffer for the library.

-b  Begin sampling for programs subsequently launched using the library.

-h  Halt sampling for programs subsequently launched using the library.

-p  Produce a profiling output file (a gmon.out file) for the library.

-r  Remove the pc sample buffer for the library.

-o name
    Use the file name instead of gmon.out when producing the profiling output file with the -p above.

FILES
gmon.out profile output file
/var/tmp/profile/profile.XXXXXX the sample buffer file

SEE ALSO
gprof(1)