can't profile nim compiler

[timotheecour]

profiling nim compiler is an important thing, so we can find and improve compile time performance bottlenecks, but right now doesn't work:

nim c --profiler:on compiler/nim.nim
compiler/nim c -o:/tmp/z01  compiler/nim.nim # fails with [1]

likewith with -d:nimCallDepthLimit=32767 (using int16.high ; impossilbe to go higher)

Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/config/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/.config/nim/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/config/config.nims' [Conf]
Traceback (most recent call last)
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/nim.nim(109) nim
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/nim.nim(73) handleCmdLine
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/cmdlinehelper.nim(92) loadConfigsAndRunMainCommand
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/main.nim(170) mainCommand
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/main.nim(78) commandCompileToC
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(134) compileProject
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(79) compileModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/passes.nim(197) processModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/passes.nim(86) processTopLevelStmt
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/sem.nim(609) myProcess
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/sem.nim(572) semStmtAndGenerateGenerics
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semstmts.nim(2048) semStmt
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semexprs.nim(915) semExprNoType
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semexprs.nim(2602) semExpr
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(212) evalImport
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(182) impMod
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(154) myImportModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(92) importModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(79) compileModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/passes.nim(197) processModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/passes.nim(86) processTopLevelStmt
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/sem.nim(609) myProcess
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/sem.nim(572) semStmtAndGenerateGenerics
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semstmts.nim(2048) semStmt
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semexprs.nim(915) semExprNoType
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/semexprs.nim(2602) semExpr
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(212) evalImport
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(182) impMod
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/importer.nim(154) myImportModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(92) importModule
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/compiler/modules.nim(79) compileModule
(1874 calls omitted) ...
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(153) hook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(106) hookAux
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(153) hook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(106) hookAux
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(153) hook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(106) hookAux
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(153) hook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(106) hookAux
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
...
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(153) hook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(106) hookAux
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(44) ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system.nim ==
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/pure/nimprof.nim(143) requestedHook
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/lib/system/timers.nim getTicks
Error: call depth limit reached in a debug build (2000 function calls). You can change it with -d:nimCallDepthLimit=<int> but really try to avoid deep recursions instead.
writing profile_results.txt...

note

EDIT: if I add -d:release, it succeeds, but then the profile_results.txt is useless:

total executions of each stack trace:
Entry: 1/1 Calls: 2436/2436 = 100.00% [sum: 2436; 2436/2436 = 100.00%]

[Araq]

But proc `==`(a, b: StackTrace): bool is in an .push profiler: off environment why would it call into the profiliing hook. Yet another configuration problem?

[timotheecour]

fix: see PR #10119

[ringabout]

Use valgrind or vtune to profile instead, both of which work like a charm!

[ringabout]