# Install Profilers

> Install profiling tools for Isaac Sim / Isaac Lab / Kit-based applications. Covers Nsight Systems (`nsys` CLI), `sqlite3`, Tracy `csvexport`, canonical Tracy `capture`/`capture-release`, and `update` for memory strip tests, with optional `tracy-capture`/`tracy-update` aliases. Use when setting up a profiling environment, when nsys/sqlite3/csvexport/capture/update tools are missing, or before running profiling, nsys-analyze, or tracy-memory.

- Skill: `nvidia/install-profilers` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add nvidia/install-profilers`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/nvidia/install-profilers/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: NVIDIA (https://skillmd.com/u/nvidia)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/nvidia/install-profilers

---


# Install Profilers for Omniverse / Kit Apps

## Quick Check — What's Already Installed?

```bash
nsys --version 2>/dev/null && echo "nsys: OK" || echo "nsys: MISSING"
csvexport --help 2>/dev/null && echo "csvexport: OK" || echo "csvexport: MISSING"
CAPTURE_BIN=$(command -v capture || command -v capture-release || command -v tracy-capture)
[ -n "$CAPTURE_BIN" ] && echo "capture: OK ($CAPTURE_BIN)" || echo "capture: MISSING"
UPDATE_BIN=$(command -v update || command -v tracy-update)
[ -n "$UPDATE_BIN" ] && echo "update: OK ($UPDATE_BIN)" || echo "update: MISSING (optional; needed for memory strip tests)"
sqlite3 --version 2>/dev/null && echo "sqlite3: OK" || echo "sqlite3: MISSING"
```

Install only what's missing.

---

## 1. Nsight Systems (nsys CLI)

The `nsys` CLI captures GPU/CPU traces and exports `.nsys-rep` → SQLite.

### Option A: Standalone installer from NVIDIA (recommended)

The profiling guide recommends the latest standalone Nsight Systems package because CUDA Toolkit packages may lag behind.

```bash
# Check the latest version at https://developer.nvidia.com/nsight-systems
wget https://developer.nvidia.com/downloads/assets/tools/secure/nsight-systems/2026_2/nsight-systems-2026.2.1_2026.2.1.210-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i nsight-systems-*.deb
nsys --version
```

For non-Debian Linux, use the standalone `.run` installer from the same download page:

```bash
chmod +x NsightSystems-linux-public-*.run
sudo ./NsightSystems-linux-public-*.run --accept
```

### Option B: From NVIDIA CUDA apt repo (fallback)

If the CUDA apt repo is already configured (check `ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*cuda*`):

```bash
# List available versions
apt-cache search nsight-systems-20 | sort -V

# Install the newest available package from the repo
sudo apt-get update
NSYS_PKG="nsight-systems-<version-from-apt-cache>"
sudo apt-get install -y "$NSYS_PKG"

# Verify
nsys --version
```

The package installs to `/opt/nvidia/nsight-systems/<version>/bin/nsys`.
It typically creates a symlink at `/usr/local/bin/nsys`, but if not:

```bash
sudo ln -sf /opt/nvidia/nsight-systems/*/bin/nsys /usr/local/bin/nsys
```

### Option C: Add CUDA repo first (if not present)

```bash
# Ubuntu 22.04 x86_64
wget https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu2204/x86_64/cuda-keyring_1.1-1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i cuda-keyring_1.1-1_all.deb
sudo apt-get update

# Then install the newest available package as in Option B
apt-cache search nsight-systems-20 | sort -V
NSYS_PKG="nsight-systems-<version-from-apt-cache>"
sudo apt-get install -y "$NSYS_PKG"
```

For other distros, replace `ubuntu2204/x86_64` with your platform.
See: https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-downloads (select "deb (network)").

### Option D: CLI-only (headless servers)

```bash
sudo apt-get install -y nsight-systems-cli
# Smaller package, no GUI — just the nsys command
```

### Post-install: perf_event_paranoid

`nsys` needs sampling access. Check and fix:

```bash
cat /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid
# If > 2:
sudo sh -c 'echo 2 > /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid'
# Persistent (survives reboot):
sudo sh -c 'echo kernel.perf_event_paranoid=2 > /etc/sysctl.d/99-nsys.conf'
```

> **Container note:** `perf_event_paranoid` may be read-only in containers.
> `nsys` can still trace CUDA/NVTX but won't collect CPU IP samples.

> **Container note:** `--gpu-metrics-devices` may fail with `ERR_NVGPUCTRPERM`
> ("Insufficient privilege"). Drop this flag in containers — NVTX/CUDA tracing
> still works fine without GPU hardware counters.

---

## 2. sqlite3 (for nsys SQLite exports)

`nsys export --type=sqlite` creates a `.sqlite` file from `.nsys-rep` traces.
Use `sqlite3` to query NVTX events, CUDA kernels, and GPU metrics.

```bash
sudo apt-get install -y sqlite3
sqlite3 --version
```

### Export smoke test

```bash
# Export .nsys-rep to SQLite
nsys export --type=sqlite -o profile.sqlite profile.nsys-rep

# Confirm SQLite can read the export
sqlite3 profile.sqlite ".tables"
```

### SQLite schema reference (key tables)

| Table | Contents |
|-------|----------|
| `NVTX_EVENTS` | NVTX ranges/markers — use `text` or join `textId→StringIds.id` for names |
| `CUPTI_ACTIVITY_KIND_KERNEL` | CUDA kernel launches (empty for Kit/RTX apps — normal) |
| `CUPTI_ACTIVITY_KIND_MEMCPY` | CUDA memcpy operations |
| `TARGET_INFO_GPU` | GPU hardware info |
| `TARGET_INFO_SYSTEM_ENV` | System environment |
| `StringIds` | String lookup table for `textId` foreign keys |

> **Gotcha:** `NVTX_EVENTS` has NO `name` column — use `text` (inline string) or join on `textId`.

---

## 3. Tracy Profiler Tools (`csvexport`, `capture`, `update`)

Tracy is used by Kit/Isaac Sim when `--/app/profilerBackend=tracy` is set.
You need two tools for the standard flow: `capture` (record traces) and `csvexport` (export to CSV for analysis). For memory profiling strip tests, also expose Tracy's `update` tool. `tracy-capture` and `tracy-update` are acceptable local aliases, but `capture` / `capture-release` / `update` are the source-guide names.

### Option A: Use the bundled Kit binary (best protocol match)

Building Isaac Sim from source, or another Kit-based app, downloads `omni.kit.profiler.tracy`, which ships a matching Tracy `capture` binary. Look under:

- `exts/omni.kit.profiler.tracy/`
- `extscore/omni.kit.profiler.tracy/`
- `extscache/omni.kit.profiler.tracy/`

Using the bundled binary guarantees version compatibility with the Tracy protocol embedded in Kit.

### Option B: Build Tracy 0.11.1 from source (recommended fallback)

Before building, check Kit's `all-deps.packman.xml` for the `carb_sdk_plugins`
version so the capture protocol matches the profiled app:

| `carb_sdk_plugins` version | Tracy version |
|---|---|
| `< 178` | `0.9.1` legacy protocol |
| `>= 178` | `0.11.1+nv1` current protocol |

The commands below build Tracy `v0.11.1`, which matches current Kit builds
using `carb_sdk_plugins >= 178`. For older Kit builds, check out the matching
legacy Tracy tag instead.

```bash
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential cmake git libcapstone-dev

git clone https://github.com/wolfpld/tracy.git
cd tracy
git checkout v0.11.1

# Build csvexport (headless, no GUI deps)
cmake -B csvexport/build -S csvexport -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DNO_ISA_EXTENSIONS=ON
cmake --build csvexport/build --parallel
sudo cp csvexport/build/csvexport /usr/local/bin/csvexport

# Build capture using the source-guide path
make -C capture/build/unix release
sudo cp capture/build/unix/capture-release /usr/local/bin/capture
sudo ln -sf /usr/local/bin/capture /usr/local/bin/tracy-capture  # optional compatibility alias

# Build update (optional; required by the tracy-memory strip test)
cmake -B update/build -S update -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build update/build --parallel
sudo cp update/build/update /usr/local/bin/update
sudo ln -sf /usr/local/bin/update /usr/local/bin/tracy-update  # optional compatibility alias

# Verify
csvexport --help
capture --help
update --help
```

> **Note:** The GUI profiler (`tracy-profiler`) requires `libglfw3-dev libdbus-1-dev libfreetype-dev`
> and a display. Skip on headless servers — `csvexport` + `sqlite3` queries are sufficient for
> automated analysis.

### Option C: Ubuntu 25.04+ packages (if available)

```bash
# Available in Ubuntu 25.04+ universe repo
sudo apt-get install -y tracy-csvexport tracy-capture
```

Not available on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 from default repos.

For Tracy capture, CSV export usage, shutdown handling, and analysis handoff, use the `profiling` skill. This skill only installs and verifies the capture/export binaries.

---

## Verification Checklist

After installation, verify the full toolchain:

```bash
echo "=== Profiling Toolchain ==="
nsys --version 2>/dev/null        || echo "MISSING: nsys"
sqlite3 --version 2>/dev/null     || echo "MISSING: sqlite3"
csvexport --help 2>&1 | head -1   || echo "MISSING: csvexport (Tracy)"
CAPTURE_BIN=$(command -v capture || command -v capture-release || command -v tracy-capture)
[ -n "$CAPTURE_BIN" ] && "$CAPTURE_BIN" --help 2>&1 | head -1 || echo "MISSING: capture"
UPDATE_BIN=$(command -v update || command -v tracy-update)
[ -n "$UPDATE_BIN" ] && "$UPDATE_BIN" --help 2>&1 | head -1 || echo "MISSING: update (optional; needed for tracy-memory)"
echo "perf_event_paranoid: $(cat /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid 2>/dev/null || echo 'N/A')"
```

These tools are needed for the full profiling workflow:
- `nsys` — capture Nsight Systems traces
- `sqlite3` — query nsys SQLite exports
- `csvexport` — export Tracy `.tracy` files to CSV
- `capture` / `capture-release` — record Tracy traces from Kit apps
- `update` — strip/transform Tracy captures for memory-capture verification