bash hotfix for 'perf not found for kernel 6.14.0-24'

README.md

builds missing perf and bpftool binaries for ubuntu 24.04 kernel 6.14

Manual hotfix for:

• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-hwe-6.14/+bug/2117147
• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-hwe-6.14/+bug/2117159
• https://askubuntu.com/questions/1553558/cannot-call-perf-on-ubntu-24-04

(works on my machine, use at your discretion)

build-perf.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Usage: sudo bash build-perf.sh

set -euo pipefail

# --- Helpers ---
log() { echo -e "\033[1;32m==>\033[0m $*"; }
err() { echo -e "\033[1;31m[ERR]\033[0m $*" >&2; }

[[ $EUID -eq 0 ]] || {
  err "Please run as root (use: sudo bash build-perf.sh)"
  exit 1
}
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

FULLREL="$(uname -r)"                                   # e.g. 6.14.0-29-generic
MAJMIN="$(uname -r | awk -F'[.-]' '{print $1 "." $2}')" # e.g. 6.14
WRAP_DIR="/usr/lib/linux-tools/${FULLREL}"

log "Detected running kernel: ${FULLREL}"
log "Using upstream kernel source line: ${MAJMIN}"

# --- Install deps ---
log "Installing build dependencies..."
apt-get update -y
apt-get install -y \
  build-essential make gcc g++ pkg-config flex bison \
  curl ca-certificates xz-utils tar \
  libelf-dev libdw-dev libdwarf-dev libunwind-dev \
  libnuma-dev libssl-dev libcap-dev \
  zlib1g-dev liblzma-dev libzstd-dev \
  libaio-dev libtraceevent-dev libpfm4-dev \
  libslang2-dev systemtap-sdt-dev \
  python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools \
  binutils-dev libiberty-dev libbabeltrace-dev \
  libbfd-dev clang llvm || true
apt-get install -y debuginfod || true

# --- Fetch kernel sources ---
WORKDIR="$(mktemp -d -t perfbuild-XXXXXX)"
trap 'rm -rf "$WORKDIR"' EXIT
pushd "$WORKDIR" >/dev/null

BASE_URL="https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x"
ARCHIVE=""
for f in "linux-${MAJMIN}.tar.xz" "linux-${MAJMIN}.tar.gz"; do
  log "Downloading: ${BASE_URL}/${f}"
  if curl -fsSLO "${BASE_URL}/${f}"; then
    ARCHIVE="$f"
    break
  fi
done
[[ -n "$ARCHIVE" ]] || {
  err "Failed to download linux-${MAJMIN} from ${BASE_URL}"
  exit 2
}

log "Extracting ${ARCHIVE} ..."
tar -xf "${ARCHIVE}"
SRC_DIR="${WORKDIR}/linux-${MAJMIN}"
[[ -d "${SRC_DIR}/tools/perf" ]] || {
  err "tools/perf not found in sources"
  exit 3
}
[[ -d "${SRC_DIR}/tools/bpf/bpftool" ]] || {
  err "tools/bpf/bpftool not found in sources"
  exit 3
}

# --- Build perf ---
pushd "${SRC_DIR}/tools/perf" >/dev/null
log "Building perf (WERROR=0) ..."
make -j"$(nproc)" WERROR=0
log "Built perf version: $(./perf --version)"
popd >/dev/null

# --- Build bpftool ---
pushd "${SRC_DIR}/tools/bpf/bpftool" >/dev/null
log "Building bpftool ..."
make -j"$(nproc)"
log "Built bpftool version: $(./bpftool version || true)"
popd >/dev/null

# --- Install into wrapper path(s) ---
log "Installing perf to ${WRAP_DIR}/perf"
install -d "${WRAP_DIR}"
install -m 0755 "${SRC_DIR}/tools/perf/perf" "${WRAP_DIR}/perf"

log "Installing bpftool to ${WRAP_DIR}/bpftool"
install -m 0755 "${SRC_DIR}/tools/bpf/bpftool/bpftool" "${WRAP_DIR}/bpftool"

# --- Verify via Ubuntu wrappers ---
log "Verifying /usr/bin/perf (Ubuntu wrapper) ..."
if /usr/bin/perf --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  /usr/bin/perf --version
  log "Success: wrapper found perf at ${WRAP_DIR}/perf"
else
  err "Wrapper did not run perf. Check that ${WRAP_DIR}/perf exists and is executable."
  ls -l "${WRAP_DIR}/perf" || true
  exit 4
fi

log "Verifying /usr/sbin/bpftool (Ubuntu wrapper) ..."
if /usr/sbin/bpftool version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  /usr/sbin/bpftool version
  log "Success: wrapper found bpftool at ${WRAP_DIR}/bpftool"
else
  err "Wrapper did not run bpftool. Check that ${WRAP_DIR}/bpftool exists and is executable."
  ls -l "${WRAP_DIR}/bpftool" || true
  exit 5
fi

log "Done."

That’s fantastic — your solution worked perfectly! I really appreciate your help and clear explanation. Thank you!

This worked for me on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, thanks!

Worked for me as well on ubuntu 24.04, thanks goat

Worked for me as well on Ubuntu 24.04. Thanks mate you are a life saver for my thesis

Worked for me on Ubuntu 24.04. Thanks alot !

Thanks a lot! Worked for me on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS!

After reboot I had to install it again. Is there a way to keep it?

thanks alot! it works on my ubuntu24.04LTS

Fails on my system with ./bpftool: symbol lookup error: ./bpftool: undefined symbol: LLVMInitializeVETargetMC, version LLVM_18.1.

Probably has to do with the C/C++ toolchains I have installed on my system?

Edit: works if I remove the clang and llvm packages from the apt install line and manually remove them.

cool! thx! it works for me!

Cool. Worked on Linux Mint 22 with mainline kernel.

Works! No more perf not found for kernel 6.14.0-1016

Beautiful it works!