gprof_test, a C code which illustrates how the GPROF peformance monitoring program can be used to monitor the performance of a C code and produce a variety of reports.
In order to use GPROF with a C code, the user program must be compiled and linked with the -pg switch. For example, either
gcc -pg myprog.c
or, in a two step process,
gcc -c -pg myprog.c
gcc -pg myprog.o
When the resulting executable program is run, GPROF
will silently monitor the program, and produce a report
file called gmon.out. This report file is not user-readable.
To see the information contained in the report, you have to
run gprof and tell it the name of the executable program
you just ran. A typical procedure, then, would be to issue the
commands
myprog (to run your program called "myprog")
gprof myprog (to have GPROF make the report)
GPROF can only report on code which has been compiled with the appropriate options. If your program calls routines from a precompiled library (which probably was NOT compiled with the -pg option!) then your report information will not include information about the time spent in those routines. GPROF's report will charge all such time to the higher level routine that called the library routine. If most of your execution time occurs in various library routines, then this fact may greatly reduce the value of GPROF's information.
For more information on how to use GPROF, type
man gprof
The computer code and data files described and made available on this web page are distributed under the MIT license
gprof_test examples are available in a C version and a C++ version and a FORTRAN90 version.
LINPACK_BENCH is the LINPACK benchmark code, which solves a linear system. This program was compiled, run, and analyzed with GPROF. Files you may copy include: