Delving the depths of Linux with sysdig
Examples
Sysdig is a useful and practical tool: You will learn many of its functions when using the software, but you can only deduce the rest from the documentation in the form of the man page or from the wiki [3]. However, it is often easier to look at a few examples and modify them to suit your own requirements.
Listing 4 shows the use of sysdig in analyzing processes. A call to
sysdig -c proc_exec_time
shows the processes that are currently taking the longest to complete. You can use echo_fds
(Listing 5) as a replacement for strace to track inputs and outputs.
Listing 4
Analyzing Processes
Listing 5
Tracking Input and Output
If the system performance does not correspond to your expectations,
sysdig -c bottlenecks sysdig -c topscalls
shows the slowest and currently most frequently used system calls. If you often have to wait for files,
sysdig -c fileslower 9
will detect them.
To see which files require the most time to read and write and where the system writes most, use:
sysdig -c topfiles_time sysdig -c topfiles_bytes
The output from
sysdig -c topprocs_file sysdig -c topprocs_net
respectively shows which processes are responsible for the writes and which ones are slowing down the network. Numerous other examples can be found online [4].
Conclusions
Sysdig is unreservedly recommended for analyzing systems as a replacement for many individual programs. The concept of compiling a simple program with many possibilities using plugins is in keeping with current trends.
The results output by sysdig are always useful, so you can expect to see it soon in the repositories of the major distributions.
Up to now, the project has tackled installation in a somewhat unorthodox manner. However, to leverage the software to the max, you need to be able to interpret the results correctly. If you lack the knowledge to do so, the output can be confusing.
Infos
- sysdig: http://www.sysdig.org
- Installation: http://www.sysdig.org/wiki/how-to-install-sysdig-for-linux/
- Wiki: http://www.sysdig.org/wiki/
- Examples: http://www.sysdig.org/wiki/sysdig-examples/
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.