STRUCT GCOV_INFO(9)

okay so welcome to the struct gcov_info(9) page from the Kernel API Manual 💖 bestie, we are getting into the profiling-data-per-object-file of it all, and yes it's giving kernel internals but make it cute ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

struct gcov_info — profiling data per object file, periodt 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

no cap, here's the struct exactly as it is:

       struct gcov_info {
           unsigned int version;
           struct gcov_info *next;
           unsigned int stamp;
         #if (__GNUC__ >= 12);
           unsigned int checksum;
         #endif;
           const char *filename;
           void (*merge[GCOV_COUNTERS])(gcov_type *, unsigned int);
           unsigned int n_functions;
           struct gcov_fn_info **functions;
        };

🎀 Members 🎀

• version — the gcov version magic that says which gcc version was used for compilation 🔍
• next — the list head for a singly-linked list, walk walk walk 🚶‍♀️
• stamp — a time stamp whose whole job is uniquifying, and honestly iconic for that
• checksum — a unique object checksum, tucked inside the #if (__GNUC__ >= 12); moment
• filename — the name of the associated gcov data file 🗂️
• merge — merge functions; it's null for an unused counter type, noted 🫶
• n_functions — the number of instrumented functions, literally the count
• functions — a pointer to pointers to function information, pointer-to-pointer realness 😭

🌈 Description 🌈

so the way that this works: this data is generated by gcc during compilation, and it doesn't change at run-time — with the one exception of the next pointer. that's the vibe, that's the rule, no extra lore 🔥

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

go peek at the Kernel file ./kernel/gcov/gcc_4_7.c and also these absolute icons: struct gcov_ctr_info(9), struct gcov_fn_info(9), gcov_info_filename(9), gcov_info_version(9), gcov_info_next(9), gcov_info_link(9), gcov_info_unlink(9), gcov_info_within_module(9), gcov_info_reset(9), gcov_info_is_compatible(9), gcov_info_add(9), gcov_info_dup(9), gcov_info_free(9), convert_to_gcda(9) 💖

💌 cute little sign-off: this page comes from the ./kernel/gcov source/version situation, dated October 2026, and it is still proudly struct gcov_info(9) 🎀 mwah 💋