Re: kernel api for application profiling

[James Courtier-Dutton <jcdutton@users.sourceforge.net>]

John Levon wrote:

>I agree that it doesn't make sense to split up the resources (though at
>some point I'd like to maintain the watchdog functionality even with
>oprofile running). In fact, for now, I think the simple exclusive CONFIG
>solution is the simplest - the things don't get on together, after all.
>
>regards
>john
>  
>
Speaking as the potential user of these tools, having to run a different 
kernel (My translation of exclusive CONFIG) to swich these features on 
and off would be annoying. I would prefer the simple loading/unloading 
of a kernel module to do the job. Having looked at a fair bit of kernel 
module code, I at first think that the kernel module api cannot achieve 
this, but other people on this list might think/know otherwise.
 From the user point of view it is adding/removing a kernel feature so a 
module would seem appropriate, but from a programmers point of view, the 
profiling code would have to be spread about all the kernel code in 
order to accurately catch the profiling information.

Summary: -
Please try to create a profiling kernel runtime loadable module instead 
of an exclusive CONFIG item.

Cheers
James