[PATCH v1 18/58] perf python: Add callchain support

From: Ian Rogers

Date: Sun Apr 19 2026 - 20:04:24 EST


Implement pyrf_callchain_node and pyrf_callchain types for lazy
iteration over callchain frames. Add callchain property to
sample_event.

Assisted-by: Gemini:gemini-3.1-pro-preview
Signed-off-by: Ian Rogers <irogers@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/util/python.c | 202 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 202 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/perf/util/python.c b/tools/perf/util/python.c
index 09b566707563..6baf38a08690 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/python.c
@@ -609,6 +609,193 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_sample_event__insn(PyObject *self, PyObject *args __maybe_
pevent->sample.insn_len);
}

+struct pyrf_callchain_node {
+ PyObject_HEAD
+ u64 ip;
+ struct map *map;
+ struct symbol *sym;
+};
+
+static void pyrf_callchain_node__delete(struct pyrf_callchain_node *pnode)
+{
+ map__put(pnode->map);
+ Py_TYPE(pnode)->tp_free((PyObject*)pnode);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_callchain_node__get_ip(struct pyrf_callchain_node *pnode,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyLong_FromUnsignedLongLong(pnode->ip);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_callchain_node__get_symbol(struct pyrf_callchain_node *pnode,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ if (pnode->sym)
+ return PyUnicode_FromString(pnode->sym->name);
+ return PyUnicode_FromString("[unknown]");
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_callchain_node__get_dso(struct pyrf_callchain_node *pnode,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ const char *dsoname = "[unknown]";
+
+ if (pnode->map) {
+ struct dso *dso = map__dso(pnode->map);
+ if (dso) {
+ if (symbol_conf.show_kernel_path && dso__long_name(dso))
+ dsoname = dso__long_name(dso);
+ else
+ dsoname = dso__name(dso);
+ }
+ }
+ return PyUnicode_FromString(dsoname);
+}
+
+static PyGetSetDef pyrf_callchain_node__getset[] = {
+ { .name = "ip", .get = (getter)pyrf_callchain_node__get_ip, },
+ { .name = "symbol", .get = (getter)pyrf_callchain_node__get_symbol, },
+ { .name = "dso", .get = (getter)pyrf_callchain_node__get_dso, },
+ { .name = NULL, },
+};
+
+static PyTypeObject pyrf_callchain_node__type = {
+ PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
+ .tp_name = "perf.callchain_node",
+ .tp_basicsize = sizeof(struct pyrf_callchain_node),
+ .tp_dealloc = (destructor)pyrf_callchain_node__delete,
+ .tp_flags = Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT|Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,
+ .tp_doc = "perf callchain node object.",
+ .tp_getset = pyrf_callchain_node__getset,
+};
+
+struct pyrf_callchain_frame {
+ u64 ip;
+ struct map *map;
+ struct symbol *sym;
+};
+
+struct pyrf_callchain {
+ PyObject_HEAD
+ struct pyrf_event *pevent;
+ struct pyrf_callchain_frame *frames;
+ u64 nr_frames;
+ u64 pos;
+ bool resolved;
+};
+
+static void pyrf_callchain__delete(struct pyrf_callchain *pchain)
+{
+ Py_XDECREF(pchain->pevent);
+ if (pchain->frames) {
+ for (u64 i = 0; i < pchain->nr_frames; i++)
+ map__put(pchain->frames[i].map);
+ free(pchain->frames);
+ }
+ Py_TYPE(pchain)->tp_free((PyObject*)pchain);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_callchain__next(struct pyrf_callchain *pchain)
+{
+ struct pyrf_callchain_node *pnode;
+
+ if (!pchain->resolved) {
+ struct evsel *evsel = pchain->pevent->sample.evsel;
+ struct evlist *evlist = evsel->evlist;
+ struct perf_session *session = evlist ? evlist->session : NULL;
+ struct addr_location al;
+ struct callchain_cursor *cursor;
+ struct callchain_cursor_node *node;
+ u64 i;
+
+ if (!session || !pchain->pevent->sample.callchain)
+ return NULL;
+
+ addr_location__init(&al);
+ if (machine__resolve(&session->machines.host, &al, &pchain->pevent->sample) < 0) {
+ addr_location__exit(&al);
+ return NULL;
+ }
+
+ cursor = get_tls_callchain_cursor();
+ if (thread__resolve_callchain(al.thread, cursor, evsel,
+ &pchain->pevent->sample, NULL, NULL,
+ PERF_MAX_STACK_DEPTH) != 0) {
+ addr_location__exit(&al);
+ return NULL;
+ }
+ callchain_cursor_commit(cursor);
+
+ pchain->nr_frames = cursor->nr;
+ if (pchain->nr_frames > 0) {
+ pchain->frames = calloc(pchain->nr_frames, sizeof(*pchain->frames));
+ if (!pchain->frames) {
+ addr_location__exit(&al);
+ return PyErr_NoMemory();
+ }
+
+ for (i = 0; i < pchain->nr_frames; i++) {
+ node = callchain_cursor_current(cursor);
+ pchain->frames[i].ip = node->ip;
+ pchain->frames[i].map = map__get(node->ms.map);
+ pchain->frames[i].sym = node->ms.sym;
+ callchain_cursor_advance(cursor);
+ }
+ }
+ pchain->resolved = true;
+ addr_location__exit(&al);
+ }
+
+ if (pchain->pos >= pchain->nr_frames)
+ return NULL;
+
+ pnode = PyObject_New(struct pyrf_callchain_node, &pyrf_callchain_node__type);
+ if (!pnode)
+ return NULL;
+
+ pnode->ip = pchain->frames[pchain->pos].ip;
+ pnode->map = map__get(pchain->frames[pchain->pos].map);
+ pnode->sym = pchain->frames[pchain->pos].sym;
+
+ pchain->pos++;
+ return (PyObject *)pnode;
+}
+
+static PyTypeObject pyrf_callchain__type = {
+ PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
+ .tp_name = "perf.callchain",
+ .tp_basicsize = sizeof(struct pyrf_callchain),
+ .tp_dealloc = (destructor)pyrf_callchain__delete,
+ .tp_flags = Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT|Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,
+ .tp_doc = "perf callchain object.",
+ .tp_iter = PyObject_SelfIter,
+ .tp_iternext = (iternextfunc)pyrf_callchain__next,
+};
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_sample_event__get_callchain(PyObject *self, void */*closure*/)
+{
+ struct pyrf_event *pevent = (void *)self;
+ struct pyrf_callchain *pchain;
+
+ if (!pevent->sample.callchain) {
+ Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+ return Py_None;
+ }
+
+ pchain = PyObject_New(struct pyrf_callchain, &pyrf_callchain__type);
+ if (!pchain)
+ return NULL;
+
+ Py_INCREF(pevent);
+ pchain->pevent = pevent;
+ pchain->frames = NULL;
+ pchain->nr_frames = 0;
+ pchain->pos = 0;
+ pchain->resolved = false;
+ return (PyObject *)pchain;
+}
+
static PyObject*
pyrf_sample_event__getattro(struct pyrf_event *pevent, PyObject *attr_name)
{
@@ -623,6 +810,12 @@ pyrf_sample_event__getattro(struct pyrf_event *pevent, PyObject *attr_name)
}

static PyGetSetDef pyrf_sample_event__getset[] = {
+ {
+ .name = "callchain",
+ .get = pyrf_sample_event__get_callchain,
+ .set = NULL,
+ .doc = "event callchain.",
+ },
{
.name = "raw_buf",
.get = (getter)pyrf_sample_event__get_raw_buf,
@@ -791,6 +984,12 @@ static int pyrf_event__setup_types(void)
err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_context_switch_event__type);
if (err < 0)
goto out;
+ err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_callchain_node__type);
+ if (err < 0)
+ goto out;
+ err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_callchain__type);
+ if (err < 0)
+ goto out;
out:
return err;
}
@@ -2836,6 +3035,9 @@ static int pyrf_session__init(struct pyrf_session *psession, PyObject *args, PyO
return -1;
}

+ symbol_conf.use_callchain = true;
+ symbol_conf.show_kernel_path = true;
+ symbol_conf.inline_name = false;
if (symbol__init(perf_session__env(psession->session)) < 0) {
perf_session__delete(psession->session);
Py_DECREF(pdata);
--
2.54.0.rc1.513.gad8abe7a5a-goog