xentrace_format(1)

💖 xentrace_format — pretty-print Xen trace data 💖

okay bestie, so this is the manual for xentrace_format(1), and it's literally the glow-up machine for your raw Xen trace data. it takes the crunchy binary stuff and makes it cute and readable. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

xentrace_format [ DEFS-FILE ]

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

xentrace_format reads trace data in xentrace binary format from standard input and reformats it according to the rules in a file of definitions (DEFS-FILE), then prints everything to standard output. it's giving translator, it's giving interpreter, it's giving i will make this make sense for you 💅

the rules in DEFS-FILE should have the format shown below:

event_id whitespace format

each rule should start on a new line. no stacking, no sharing a line, one per line periodt ✨

the format string may include format specifiers, such as: %(cpu)d, %(tsc)d, %(event)d, %(1)d, %(2)d, %(3)d, %(4)d, %(5)d

[ the d format specifier output in decimal, alternatively x will output in hexadecimal and o will output in octal ] 🎀

these correspond to the CPU number, the event ID, the timestamp counter, and the 5 data fields from the trace record. you should have one such rule for each type of event you want to be pretty-printed — and heads up, events that do not have formatting rules are ignored. not ghosted, just ignored. there's a difference 🦋

a sample format file for Xen's predefined trace events is available in the file tools/xentrace/formats in the Xen source tree. go peek, it's iconic 👑

depending on your system and the rate at which trace data is produced, this script may not be able to keep up with the output of xentrace if it is piped directly. no cap, it can get overwhelmed 😭 in these circumstances you should have xentrace output to a file for processing off-line. let it breathe, bestie 🌈

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👑 AUTHOR 👑

Mark A. Williamson <mark.a.williamson@intel.com>

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

xentrace(8)

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and that's the whole vibe, babe 🎀 this was page for Xen 4.17.7, dated 2026-08-01 — so go forth, format your traces, and slay 💖✨