Main window

Linux Trace Toolkit Reference Manual
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6.1 Main Window

When first launching tracevisualizer without any command line options, you will be greeted with the following window:

Figure 1: Trace Visualizer main window, no trace opened

NOTE: The precise look-and-feel of the window you get might be slightly different. This is because the GTK+ library allows themeing of its widgets. See gtk.themes.org for more details.

6.1.1 Menus

Most of the Trace Visualizer's functionality can be accessed through the main window's drop down menus. They are made up of the following:

6.1.1.1 The file menu

The file menu allows for the following choices:

- Open Trace: Selecting this command will display the Open trace window. Upon completion of the selection, the loaded trace will be displayed in the current window if no trace was currently being displayed. If a trace was already loaded. tracevisualizer will open up a new window containing the new trace. Using CTRL+O will have the same effect.
- Close Trace: Closes the currently displayed trace and its window if there is more than one window open. Otherwise, closes the trace and clears the window contents. Using CTRL+C will have the same effect.
- Dump To File: Opens the Dump to file window to allow for the generation of an output file, containing various calculations and possibly the list of acquired events. Using CTRL+D will have the same effect.
- Exit: Closes all opened windows and exits the program. Using CTRL+X will have the same effect.

6.1.1.2 The tools menu

The tools menu allows for the following choices:

- Zoom In: Magnify viewed area by a factor of 2. Using CTRL+PageUP will have the same effect.
- Zoom Out: Decrease viewed magnification by a factor of 2. Using CTRL+PageDOWN will have the same effect.
- Show Horizon: When selected, this option will display a series of horizontal lines in the background of the event graph, to ease the localization of a graphed process. Using CTRL+Z will have the same effect.
- Go to event: Opens the Go to event window to allow the search for a particular event in the raw event list. Using CTRL+E will have the same effect.
- View time frame: Opens the View time frame window which fits a specified time frame in the current event graph. Using CTRL+T will have the same effect.

6.1.1.3 The options menu

The Options menu allows for the following choices:

- Colors: Displays the Color selection window to select line type and color configuration for each type of item drawn in the event graph.

6.1.1.4 The help menu

The Help menu allows for the following choices:

- Contents: Tells you how to get here!
- About: Displays information about all the hard working programmers that made LTT possible,

6.1.2 Event Graph

Once loaded with a fresh supply of data, LTT greets you with the event graph, as can be seen on figure 2. This thumbnail can be accessed by pressed 'g' or 'G' while in another thumbnail.

Figure 2: Linux Trace Toolkit main window, showing a filled event graph

The trace can be scrolled using the UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys.

6.1.2.1 Icon legend

A lot of events can be identified on the graph by an Icon. These are:

Icon | Corresponding event
| Bottom half
| I/O end
| I/O start
| IRQ
| Kernel Timer
| Schedule change
| System call
| Trap

6.1.2.2 Contextual menu

Right clicking on an event icon will display the following contextual menu:

This Contextual menu allows for the following choices:

- View raw event data: Selects the clicked event in the raw event list and makes it visible.
- Go to process analysis: Selects the clicked event's associated process in the process tree and makes it visible.

6.1.2.3 Process list

The process list seen on the left side displays all processes that were observed during data acquisition. Every horizontal line is at the height of its corresponding process in the Process list. Clicking on a process will display a selection line, to help with the visualization. Alternatively, the Horizon can be activated.

6.1.3 Process Analysis

The Process Analysis view allows you to view all processes that were present during data acquisition. Clicking on a process displays details about it. This thumbnail can be accessed by pressed 'p' or 'P' while in another thumbnail.

Figure 3: Process analysis view

6.1.4 Raw Trace

The Raw Trace view is there to list all events that were logged by the data acquisition module. This thumbnail can be accessed by pressed 'r' or 'R' while in another thumbnail.

Figure 4: The Raw event trace view

6.1.4.1 Contextual menu

Right clicking on an event in the list will display the following contextual menu:

This Contextual menu allows for the following choices:

- View event in graph: Centers the event in the event graph and makes it visible.
- Go to process analysis: Selects the clicked event's associated process in the process tree and makes it visible.

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Linux trace toolkit | Main window