Linux 7.4 brings a broad set of updates to the perf performance tooling, including an overhaul of its Python-based scripts. The scripts have been adapted to use the Python perf module and can now run as standalone programs.
The perf Python module also gains several improvements, including lazy handling of sample call chains and event copies, better management of the Python GIL, and improved session and thread lookups. New exporters for treport, flamegraphs, SQLite and PostgreSQL are included as well.
The changes build on the earlier conversion of perf script to the Python module. Implemented as a Python C extension, the module is intended to provide substantially faster execution than the previous code.
Linux 7.4 also adds instruction tracking on ARM64 for data-type profiling. This supports resolving stack, global, per-CPU and current-variable accesses, allowing perf annotate --data-type to offer behavior on ARM64 comparable to Linux x86 and x86_64.
The perf tooling updates additionally include various fixes and smaller improvements included in the latest subsystem changes.
Sources: Phoronix.