[dtrace-discuss] Open Source Instruments?

Rich Morin
Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:05:10 -0000

At 12:41 -0800 12/13/07, John Birrell wrote:
> Has anyone seen where Apple has posted their DTrace port
> to Leopard?

  Instruments builds on top of the open source DTrace utility.
  DTrace is ...  If there is an aspect of the system that you
  want to track that isn''t already supported, you can create
  your own tool using the D programming language.

    -- http://developer.apple.com/leopard/overview/

Unfortunately, there are things I''d like to track that D isn''t
the best tool for recording.  So, I''d like to be able to add
tools in other languages.  I''d also like to be able to extend
Instruments'' data analysis and display capabilities.  I''d even
like to "play" some of the recorded data over my speakers!

Although I can do some of this by exporting data and pushing
files through other programs, this isn''t as slick an interface
as I''d like (or that Instruments deserves).  Other things, I
simply can''t do at all.

It occurs to me that Apple has a chance to pay back some of
debt they owe the DTrace community and, at the same time, get
a LOT of help in improving and extending Instruments.  Here''s
hoping that Apple is willing to see the logic in the idea of
open-sourcing Instruments.

-r
--
http://www.cfcl.com/rdm            Rich Morin
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