Running the instrumented kernel

To capture kernel event trace data, you must run the instrumented kernel (procnto-instr). This kernel is a drop-in replacement for the standard kernel (though it is slightly larger). Even when it's not logging event data, the instrumented kernel is almost as fast as the standard one.
Note: To check if the instrumented kernel is already running on the target, run the following command on the target: ls /proc/boot

If procnto-instr appears in the output, the OS image is running the instrumented kernel (and you don't need to do the steps below).

To substitute the procnto-instr module in the OS image on your target board, you can manually edit your buildfile and run mkifs to generate a new image, as explained in the Making an OS Image chapter of Building Embedded Systems. Or, you can use the System Builder perspective to configure the image's properties, which automates the build activity.

To use the System Builder to run the instrumented kernel:
  1. Switch to the System Builder perspective by clicking its icon () in the toolbar near the top of the UI.
  2. In the System Builder Projects view, double-click the buildfile for the image you want to change.
    To find the buildfile's listing, expand the BSP project in which the buildfile is located, then expand the System Builder Files folder.
    The buildfile is opened in the editor area.
  3. In the editor window with the buildfile contents, seach for procnto and replace this text with procnto-instr, then save your change.
  4. Rebuild your BSP project by right-clicking it in the System Builder Projects view and selecting Build Project.
  5. Transfer the newly built image to the target board.
    For information on doing so, see "Downloading an image to your target".
After you've confirmed that the instrumented kernel is running on your target (see the note above), you're ready to run a kernel event trace and use the System Profiler to view the captured trace data.