likwid For Linux

likwid (Like I knew what I am doing) is a project that contributes easy to use command-line tools for Linux to support programmers in developing high performance multi threaded programs.

It contains the following tools:

* likwid-topology: Show the thread and cache topology  * likwid-perfCtr: Measure hardware performance counters on Intel and AMD processors  * likwid-features: Show and Toggle hardware prefetch control bits on Intel Core 2 processors  * likwid-pin: Pin your threaded application without touching your code (supports pthreads, Intel OpenMP and gcc OpenMP)

There are already a bunch of performance counter tools available. Likwid stands out because:

* No kernel patching, any vanilla kernel with the standard msr module works  * Transparent, always clear which events are chosen, event tags have the same naming as in documentation  * Lightweight, LIKWID on purpose does not use sampling and adds no overhead during measurement.  * Easy to use, no java hog, simple to build, no need to touch your code, configurable from outside. Clear CLI interface  * Multiplatform, likwid supports Intel and AMD processors  * Up to date, likwid tries to fully support new processors as soon as possible

If you encounter problems feel free to ask questions in the User Mailing List.

NOTICE: Although Likwid is already fully usable Likwid is not yet released. I need your help to find bugs and improve Likwid to ensure a high quality for the release. Give it a try and test it. If you encounter problems write a email to me or the Forum. I promise a quick reaction time to fix errors or respond to feature requests.