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Oracle announced DTrace for Linux 2.0.1 on July 10, 2024. The release moved Linux DTrace to a userspace application built on BPF-based kernel tracing and BTF type data; it is not the current release state. Oracle’s later materials describe features in 2.0.4 and 2.0.5, while an April 30, 2026 security advisory lists DTrace 2.0.7-4 packages for Oracle Linux.

What Oracle announced in July 2024

Oracle DTrace developer Kris Van Hees announced the release with the words, “We are happy to announce the availability of DTrace for Linux 2.0.1!” Oracle described it as based on BPF and other Linux kernel tracing features, but implemented entirely as a userspace application. The announcement characterized its functionality as close to feature-complete compared with the earlier Linux DTrace 1.2.1-1, while noting that development continued. Oracle’s July 10, 2024 announcement

What DTrace does

DTrace is a tracing tool for investigating behavior and performance on a live system. Oracle describes using it to examine applications and the operating system when troubleshooting issues such as bottlenecks, memory use, CPU time, and function calls. On Linux, Oracle presents it as an eBPF-based observability tool that can trace kernel and user applications, specific processes or libraries, and full stacks. Its D language is similar to C and awk. Oracle describes DTrace as designed for production use; that is Oracle’s characterization, not a guarantee that every tracing workload is risk-free. Oracle’s DTrace documentation Oracle’s March 2026 overview

Linux kernel requirements

The 2.0.1 announcement says Linux DTrace can be used on kernels that provide BPF-based tracing and BTF type data. It also says improved functionality depended on two optional kernel patches. The announcement does not identify a single minimum kernel version that applies to every distribution, so check the target system’s kernel configuration and distribution guidance rather than assuming that any Linux kernel will work. Oracle’s 2.0.1 announcement

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What changed after 2.0.1

The July 2024 release should not be treated as the latest DTrace version. Oracle’s March 12, 2026 overview covers 2.0.4 and 2.0.5. Oracle reports that 2.0.4 added TCP and UDP providers and describes error injection using the return() action for qualifying rawfbt probes. Oracle’s March 2026 overview

Oracle’s February 6, 2026 bug-fix erratum records DTrace 2.0.5-2 changes that include PID-specific uprobes, support for aggregations of stacks, an installed tutorial, and documentation additions. Oracle’s DTrace 2.0.5-2 erratum

An Oracle security advisory dated April 30, 2026 lists DTrace 2.0.7-4 packages for Oracle Linux. It records fixes for CVE-2026-35233 and CVE-2026-21996, as well as additional ELF object safety checks. Because package errata can change, consult Oracle’s live errata before treating 2.0.7-4 as the latest available version. Oracle’s April 30, 2026 security advisory

How to install DTrace on Oracle Linux

Oracle documents DTrace packages for Oracle Linux repositories, including dtrace, dtrace-devel, and dtrace-testsuite. Its stated UEK combinations are:

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Oracle Linux release UEK guidance
Oracle Linux 10 UEK 8 and later
Oracle Linux 9 UEK 7 and later
Oracle Linux 8 UEK 6 and later

Oracle’s page maps supported Oracle Linux and UEK releases and architectures to repositories for those packages. Follow its package instructions for the particular release and architecture in use. These are Oracle Linux instructions, not a compatibility promise for every Linux distribution. Oracle says DTrace is also available in Gentoo Linux, Void Linux, and Debian, and can be built from source on most distributions; packaging and support details differ by distribution. Oracle’s DTrace page Oracle’s March 2026 overview

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What to check before using it

  • Confirm that the kernel provides the BPF-based tracing features and BTF type data required by Linux DTrace.
  • For Oracle Linux, match the OS release, UEK version, and architecture to Oracle’s package guidance.
  • Check the current package errata for maintenance and security updates instead of relying on the historical 2.0.1 announcement.
  • For non-Oracle distributions, use that distribution’s package or build guidance; Oracle’s Oracle Linux repository mapping does not establish support for other systems.

The cited Oracle materials do not provide a quantitative performance comparison between the userspace/BPF design and the earlier kernel-module-based release, so they do not establish which is faster.

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