TLDR Web Dev · MISCELLANEOUS

THE RETURN OF THE FRAME POINTERS

brendangregg.com12 min read

Summary from the TLDR Web Dev newsletter

Frame pointers are used for reliable debugging and profiling and allow tools to accurately trace program execution. A 2004 compiler change removed frame pointers by default to slightly boost performance, breaking many profilers and debuggers. Decades later, Fedora and Ubuntu are now releasing versions with frame pointers enabled by default, vastly improving the accuracy of profiling tools.