LIBPFM(3)

💖 LIBPFM(3) — the Linux Programmer's Manual, but make it cute ✨

okay bestie, gather round, because we're about to talk about libpfm_arm_ac53 and honestly? it's giving "tiny library, big responsibilities". this is the page for support for the ARM Cortex A53 PMU 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

libpfm_arm_ac53 — support for ARM Cortex A53 PMU

no cap, that's the whole name. short, sweet, iconic 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

first things first, you gotta pull in the header like so:

#include <perfmon/pfmlib.h>

and then the two little identity cards for this PMU:

• PMU name: arm_ac53
• PMU desc: ARM Cortex A53

that's it. that's the whole vibe check. 🦋

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

so, the library supports the ARM Cortex A53 core PMU. that's the main character energy right there 👑

now the deets, and I need you to actually remember these:

• this PMU supports 6 counters — six! count them. on your fingers. six 🖐️🤚
• it also does privilege levels filtering, which is exactly what it sounds like and yes it matters
• and it can operate in both 32 and 64 bit modes, so it's flexible like that. versatile. adaptable. a queen 🌈

🎀 MODIFIERS 🎀

these are the little suffixes you can sprinkle on your events. the following modifiers are supported on ARM Cortex A53:

• u — Measure at the user level. This corresponds to PFM_PLM3. This is a boolean modifier. ✨
• k — Measure at the kernel level. This corresponds to PFM_PLM0. This is a boolean modifier. 💜
• hv — Measure at the hypervisor level. This corresponds to PFM_PLMH. This is a boolean modifier. 🧚

heads up bestie: all three of these are boolean modifiers, meaning they're on-or-off, no in-between, no "a little bit of kernel", we don't do that here 💅

👑 AUTHORS 👑

• Stephane Eranian <eranian@gmail.com>

big thank you to the author, genuinely, we stan 🫶

and that's the whole page, bestie!! 💖 this was the Linux Programmer's Manual, dated May, 2014, and the page is LIBPFM(3) — go forth and measure those counters responsibly ✨🌸💅