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JUNE 15, 2026
gcc Proposed

RFC: AutoFDO GCOV Profile Format Version 4

Reviewer requests a sample data file to create a GNU poke pickle for the proposed AutoFDO GCOV profile format.

Jose Marchesi requests a sample data file for the proposed AutoFDO GCOV profile format version 4. He intends to create a GNU poke pickle to review the format, check for potential pitfalls, and facilitate testing and data manipulation. A pickle file will allow poking at data and dumping to textual representation.

In the Thread 1 participant
  1. Jose E. Marchesi proposer

    Requests a sample data file to create a GNU poke pickle for the proposed AutoFDO GCOV profile format.

    “I intend to review the proposed format by writing a GNU poke pickle for it, as complete as possible, including constraints etc.”

In Details

This exchange concerns AutoFDO, a feedback-directed optimization technique. GCOV profiles are used to guide the compiler's optimization decisions. GNU poke is an interactive, extensible editor for binary data.

For Context

This discussion is about a new format for storing code coverage data used to optimize programs. AutoFDO uses this data to improve the performance of compiled code. GNU poke is a tool for inspecting and manipulating binary files.

Filed Under: gccautofdogcovoptimizationgnu poke