Compiling your own perf utility tools

The perf utility is part of the linux-tools package and can be installed via :

apt-get install linux-tools

However..... if you have just installed a newer (and or custom) kernel version (as explained here for example)....let's say 3.14.0 on Ubuntu Precise ... the apt-get install would not find the appropriate linux-tools package for that kernel version.

So this is what yo can do:

apt-get install libdw-dev libnewt-dev binutils-dev git
git clone https://github.com/torvalds/linux.git
cd linux
git tag -l

Make sure you checkout the same version as on the currently installed on the system kernel.

git checkout tags/v3.14
cd tools/perf
make -j `getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN` perf
make install

EXAMPLE:

root@suricata:~/oisf# perf list

List of pre-defined events (to be used in -e):
  cpu-cycles OR cycles                               [Hardware event]
  instructions                                       [Hardware event]
  cache-references                                   [Hardware event]
  cache-misses                                       [Hardware event]
  branch-instructions OR branches                    [Hardware event]
  branch-misses                                      [Hardware event]
  bus-cycles                                         [Hardware event]
  stalled-cycles-frontend OR idle-cycles-frontend    [Hardware event]
  stalled-cycles-backend OR idle-cycles-backend      [Hardware event]
  ref-cycles                                         [Hardware event]

  cpu-clock                                          [Software event]
  task-clock                                         [Software event]
  page-faults OR faults                              [Software event]
  context-switches OR cs                             [Software event]
  cpu-migrations OR migrations                       [Software event]
  minor-faults                                       [Software event]
  major-faults                                       [Software event]
  alignment-faults                                   [Software event]
  emulation-faults                                   [Software event]
  dummy                                              [Software event]

  L1-dcache-loads                                    [Hardware cache event]
  L1-dcache-load-misses                              [Hardware cache event]
  L1-dcache-stores                                   [Hardware cache event]
  L1-dcache-store-misses                             [Hardware cache event]
  L1-dcache-prefetch-misses                          [Hardware cache event]
  L1-icache-load-misses                              [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-loads                                          [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-load-misses                                    [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-stores                                         [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-store-misses                                   [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-prefetches                                     [Hardware cache event]
  LLC-prefetch-misses                                [Hardware cache event]
  dTLB-loads                                         [Hardware cache event]
  dTLB-load-misses                                   [Hardware cache event]
  dTLB-stores                                        [Hardware cache event]
  dTLB-store-misses                                  [Hardware cache event]
  iTLB-loads                                         [Hardware cache event]
  iTLB-load-misses                                   [Hardware cache event]
  branch-loads                                       [Hardware cache event]
  branch-load-misses                                 [Hardware cache event]
  node-loads                                         [Hardware cache event]
  node-load-misses                                   [Hardware cache event]
  node-stores                                        [Hardware cache event]
  node-store-misses                                  [Hardware cache event]
  node-prefetches                                    [Hardware cache event]
  node-prefetch-misses                               [Hardware cache event]

  branch-instructions OR cpu/branch-instructions/    [Kernel PMU event]
  branch-misses OR cpu/branch-misses/                [Kernel PMU event]
  bus-cycles OR cpu/bus-cycles/                      [Kernel PMU event]
  cache-misses OR cpu/cache-misses/                  [Kernel PMU event]
  cache-references OR cpu/cache-references/          [Kernel PMU event]
  cpu-cycles OR cpu/cpu-cycles/                      [Kernel PMU event]
  instructions OR cpu/instructions/                  [Kernel PMU event]
  mem-loads OR cpu/mem-loads/                        [Kernel PMU event]
  mem-stores OR cpu/mem-stores/                      [Kernel PMU event]
root@suricata:~/oisf#

EXAMPLE:
root@suricata:~/oisf#perf top

..so you are back in business.