linux-kernel - [tip:perf/core] perf intel-pt: Update documentation about context switch events

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Message-ID: <tip-x2ybghpqxxn3zu0m8o7qi42r@git.kernel.org>
Date:   Tue, 15 Nov 2016 02:41:27 -0800
From:   tip-bot for Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <tipbot@...or.com>
To:     linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org
Cc:     ak@...ux.intel.com, acme@...hat.com, tglx@...utronix.de,
        hpa@...or.com, mingo@...nel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        adrian.hunter@...el.com
Subject: [tip:perf/core] perf intel-pt: Update documentation about context
 switch events

Commit-ID:  699c12a7cca376d16f75672f9047faa37b184eda
Gitweb:     http://git.kernel.org/tip/699c12a7cca376d16f75672f9047faa37b184eda
Author:     Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@...hat.com>
AuthorDate: Wed, 9 Nov 2016 11:04:05 -0300
Committer:  Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@...hat.com>
CommitDate: Fri, 11 Nov 2016 13:18:52 -0300

perf intel-pt: Update documentation about context switch events

Since the unprivileged sched switch event was added in perf, PT doesn't
need need perf_event_paranoid=-1 anymore for per cpu decoding.

Add a note stating that that is only needed for kernels < 4.2.

Reported-by: Andi Kleen <ak@...ux.intel.com>
Report-Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/http://lkml.kernel.org/n/tip-x2ybghpqxxn3zu0m8o7qi42r@git.kernel.org
Acked-by: Adrian Hunter <adrian.hunter@...el.com>
Fixes: 45ac1403f564 ("perf: Add PERF_RECORD_SWITCH to indicate context switches")
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/n/tip-x2ybghpqxxn3zu0m8o7qi42r@git.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@...hat.com>
---
 tools/perf/Documentation/intel-pt.txt | 19 +++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/intel-pt.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/intel-pt.txt
index c6c8318..b0b3007 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/intel-pt.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/intel-pt.txt
@@ -550,6 +550,18 @@ Unless /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid is set to -1, unprivileged users
 have memory limits imposed upon them.  That affects what buffer sizes they can
 have as outlined above.
 
+The v4.2 kernel introduced support for a context switch metadata event,
+PERF_RECORD_SWITCH, which allows unprivileged users to see when their processes
+are scheduled out and in, just not by whom, which is left for the
+PERF_RECORD_SWITCH_CPU_WIDE, that is only accessible in system wide context,
+which in turn requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN.
+
+Please see the 45ac1403f564 ("perf: Add PERF_RECORD_SWITCH to indicate context
+switches") commit, that introduces these metadata events for further info.
+
+When working with kernels < v4.2, the following considerations must be taken,
+as the sched:sched_switch tracepoints will be used to receive such information:
+
 Unless /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid is set to -1, unprivileged users are
 not permitted to use tracepoints which means there is insufficient side-band
 information to decode Intel PT in per-cpu mode, and potentially workload-only
@@ -564,8 +576,11 @@ sched_switch tracepoint
 -----------------------
 
 The sched_switch tracepoint is used to provide side-band data for Intel PT
-decoding.  sched_switch events are automatically added. e.g. the second event
-shown below
+decoding in kernels where the PERF_RECORD_SWITCH metadata event isn't
+available.
+
+The sched_switch events are automatically added. e.g. the second event shown
+below:
 
 	$ perf record -vv -e intel_pt//u uname
 	------------------------------------------------------------