[PATCH perf-tools-next 3/3] perf trace: Enhance BTF type formatting to symbolise kernel function pointers

From: Aaron Tomlin

Date: Sat Aug 15 2026 - 19:38:03 EST


When BTF (BPF Type Format) metadata is loaded from vmlinux, perf trace can
inspect the precise C types of tracepoint and system call parameters.
However, function pointer arguments are currently not recognised during BTF
pretty-printing and default to hexadecimal output.

Introduce btf_is_func_ptr() to inspect BTF type hierarchies
(i.e., traversing pointers, typedefs, and type modifiers) to determine
whether a parameter resolves to a function prototype (BTF_KIND_FUNC_PROTO).

Generalise BTF type caching via syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_type() to handle
structs, unions, enums, and function pointers alike. When a field is
identified as a kernel function pointer, trace__btf_scnprintf() routes its
value to syscall_arg__scnprintf_ksym(), enabling automatic zero-config
symbolisation of kernel function pointers whenever BTF is available.

Signed-off-by: Aaron Tomlin <atomlin@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/builtin-trace.c | 39 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
1 file changed, 31 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 825b16581581..94dc720a2b3a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -974,21 +974,43 @@ static size_t syscall_arg__scnprintf_getrandom_flags(char *bf, size_t size,
#define SCA_GETRANDOM_FLAGS syscall_arg__scnprintf_getrandom_flags

#ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
-static void syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_enum(struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt, struct btf *btf, char *type)
+static bool btf_is_func_ptr(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *type)
+{
+ while (type) {
+ if (btf_is_ptr(type)) {
+ type = btf__type_by_id(btf, type->type);
+ return type && btf_is_func_proto(type);
+ }
+ if (btf_is_typedef(type) || btf_is_mod(type)) {
+ type = btf__type_by_id(btf, type->type);
+ } else {
+ break;
+ }
+ }
+ return false;
+}
+
+static void syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_type(struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt,
+ struct btf *btf, char *type)
{
int id;

- type = strstr(type, "enum ");
if (type == NULL)
return;

- type += 5; // skip "enum " to get the enumeration name
+ if (strstarts(type, "enum "))
+ type += 5;
+ else if (strstarts(type, "struct "))
+ type += 7;
+ else if (strstarts(type, "union "))
+ type += 6;

id = btf__find_by_name(btf, type);
if (id < 0)
return;

arg_fmt->type = btf__type_by_id(btf, id);
+ arg_fmt->type_id = id;
}

static bool syscall_arg__strtoul_btf_enum(char *bf, size_t size, struct syscall_arg *arg, u64 *val)
@@ -1023,8 +1045,7 @@ static bool syscall_arg__strtoul_btf_type(char *bf, size_t size, struct syscall_
return false;

if (arg->fmt->type == NULL) {
- // See if this is an enum
- syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_enum(arg->fmt, btf, type);
+ syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_type(arg->fmt, btf, type);
}

// Now let's see if we have a BTF type resolved
@@ -1111,8 +1132,7 @@ static size_t trace__btf_scnprintf(struct trace *trace, struct syscall_arg *arg,
return 0;

if (arg_fmt->type == NULL) {
- // Check if this is an enum and if we have the BTF type for it.
- syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_enum(arg_fmt, trace->btf, type);
+ syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_type(arg_fmt, trace->btf, type);
}

// Did we manage to find a BTF type for the syscall/tracepoint argument?
@@ -1123,6 +1143,8 @@ static size_t trace__btf_scnprintf(struct trace *trace, struct syscall_arg *arg,
return btf_enum_scnprintf(arg_fmt->type, trace->btf, bf, size, val);
else if (btf_is_struct(arg_fmt->type) || btf_is_union(arg_fmt->type))
return btf_struct_scnprintf(arg_fmt->type, trace->btf, bf, size, arg);
+ else if (btf_is_func_ptr(trace->btf, arg_fmt->type))
+ return syscall_arg__scnprintf_ksym(bf, size, arg);

return 0;
}
@@ -2566,7 +2588,8 @@ static size_t syscall__scnprintf_args(struct syscall *sc, char *bf, size_t size,

default_scnprintf = sc->arg_fmt[arg.idx].scnprintf;

- if (trace->force_btf || default_scnprintf == NULL || default_scnprintf == SCA_PTR) {
+ if (trace->force_btf || default_scnprintf == NULL ||
+ default_scnprintf == SCA_PTR || default_scnprintf == SCA_KSYM) {
btf_printed = trace__btf_scnprintf(trace, &arg, bf + printed,
size - printed, val, field->type);
if (btf_printed) {
--
2.55.0