Python should be compiled with USDT/dtrace user-space probes
| Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| python3.7 (Ubuntu) |
Confirmed
|
Wishlist
|
Unassigned | ||
| python3.8 (Ubuntu) |
Fix Released
|
Wishlist
|
Trent Lloyd | ||
| Disco |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
Python3.6 and later support being compiled with USDT/dtrace user-space probes, this allows tools such as perf and BPF utilities (bpfcc-tools) to do runtime profiling and tracing of Python execution.
Ubuntu should compile Python with this support to enable better debugging of Python applications in production. perf/bpf tools can be attached to running production processes without having to restart them under a debugger which may destroy the situation you are trying to observe. This would be particularly useful with OpenStack deployments for example.
The current python3.
systemtap-sdt-dev is not currently in main, however, it was previously approved for a MIR in Bug #1203590 - it seems the original packages this was required for (Source Package: ust) was demoted to universe at some point and the systemtap-sdt-dev dependency went with it. So I am hopeful it will be re-approved for main inclusion and allow this to be done
| Changed in python3.8 (Ubuntu): | |
| status: | New → Confirmed |
| importance: | Undecided → Wishlist |
| assignee: | nobody → Trent Lloyd (lathiat) |
| Changed in python3.7 (Ubuntu): | |
| status: | New → Confirmed |
| importance: | Undecided → Wishlist |
| assignee: | nobody → Trent Lloyd (lathiat) |
| tags: | added: patch |

Attaching debdiff showing how to enable build-time support. debian/control is generated for the python version by debian/control.in so we patch both files, then enable --with-dtrace in the rules.
At this stage this patch is blocked by the MIR for systemtap-sdt-dev, and I will also file this upstream in Debian for the same