NAME

       pmdbg - report Performance Co-Pilot debug options

SYNOPSIS

       pmdbg code ...
       pmdbg -l [-o] [-g]
       pmdbg -D name[,name ...]

DESCRIPTION

       The  components  of the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) use a global mechanism to control diagnostic and debug
       output.  Historically this was a vector of bit-fields but this was later replaced by an  array  of  debug
       options.   All  of  the bit-field debug controls have an equivalent in the new scheme, but some new debug
       options cannot be represented in the old bit-field scheme.

       pmdbg with a -l option prints out all the debug options.  If there is no -g and no  -o  option  then  the
       output lists the name of each option and some descriptive text.

       With the -l and -g options the descriptive text is replaced with an expression that can be used to set or
       print the corresponding debug flag in gdb (1).

       With the -l and -o options the output is for only the old bit-fields with the mnemonic and decimal values
       of each the bit-field along with some descriptive text.

       Obviously the -o and -g options are mutually exclusive.

       pmdbg  with a -D option parses the list of names(s) using __pmParseDebug(3) and reports the corresponding
       decimal value.  This use is not required in the new scheme, but for the  old  bit-fields  scheme  it  was
       useful  when  debugging  and  wanting  to  set  the  internal value of the control vector (pmDebug) via a
       debugger, e.g.  gdb(1).  For the new scheme, the same effect can  be  achieved  using  the  name  of  the
       option(s) and calling pmSetDebug(3) from within the debugger.

       The  alternative usage also relates to the old bit-field scheme and the code arguments are values for the
       debug vector, and the bit-fields that are enabled by each of these values is listed.

       Each code may be an integer, a hexadecimal value or a hexadecimal value  prefixed  by  either  ``0x''  or
       ``0X''.

       Most  applications  using  the facilities of the PCP support a -D name[,name ...]  command-line syntax to
       enable debug control using the name(s) of the desired debug options.

       Alternatively the initial value of the debug control flags may be set to either a value N (old scheme) or
       a comma-separated list if option name(s) (new scheme) using the environment variable $PCP_DEBUG.  If both
       mechanisms are used the effect is additive, so the resultant flags are those set via $PCP_DEBUG  combined
       with those set via any -D command line options.

OPTIONS

       The available command line options are:

       -D name, --debug=name
            Parse a comma-separated list of name(s) and report the corresponding decimal value(s).

       -l, --list
            List all the debug options.

       -g, --gdb
            Output gdb(1) expressions with -l.

       -o, --old
            Use old-style output format with -l.

       -?, --help
            Display usage message and exit.

PCP ENVIRONMENT

       Environment  variables with the prefix PCP_ are used to parameterize the file and directory names used by
       PCP.  On each installation, the file /etc/pcp.conf contains the local values for  these  variables.   The
       $PCP_CONF variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration file, as described in pcp.conf(5).

SEE ALSO

       PCPIntro(1), pmSetDebug(3), pmClearDebug(3), __pmParseDebug(3), pcp.conf(5) and pcp.env(5).