[PATCH v2] perf parse-events: Make X modifier more respectful of groups

From: Ian Rogers

Date: Fri Oct 17 2025 - 19:04:23 EST


Events with an X modifier were reordered within a group, for example
slots was made the leader in:
```
$ perf record -e '{cpu/mem-stores/ppu,cpu/slots/uX}' -- sleep 1
```

Fix by making `dont_regroup` evsels always use their index for
sorting. Make the cur_leader, when fixing the groups, be that of
`dont_regroup` evsel so that the `dont_regroup` evsel doesn't become a
leader.

On a tigerlake this patch corrects this and meets expectations in:
```
$ perf stat -e '{cpu/mem-stores/,cpu/slots/uX}' -a -- sleep 0.1

Performance counter stats for 'system wide':

83,458,652 cpu/mem-stores/
2,720,854,880 cpu/slots/uX

0.103780587 seconds time elapsed

$ perf stat -e 'slots,slots:X' -a -- sleep 0.1

Performance counter stats for 'system wide':

732,042,247 slots (48.96%)
643,288,155 slots:X (51.04%)

0.102731018 seconds time elapsed
```

Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/18f20d38-070c-4e17-bc90-cf7102e1e53d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
Fixes: 035c17893082 ("perf parse-events: Add 'X' modifier to exclude an event from being regrouped")
Signed-off-by: Ian Rogers <irogers@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/util/parse-events.c | 16 ++++++++++------
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 3aec86aebdc6..0c0dc20b1c13 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1973,14 +1973,18 @@ static int evlist__cmp(void *_fg_idx, const struct list_head *l, const struct li
* event's index is used. An index may be forced for events that
* must be in the same group, namely Intel topdown events.
*/
- if (*force_grouped_idx != -1 && arch_evsel__must_be_in_group(lhs)) {
+ if (lhs->dont_regroup) {
+ lhs_sort_idx = lhs_core->idx;
+ } else if (*force_grouped_idx != -1 && arch_evsel__must_be_in_group(lhs)) {
lhs_sort_idx = *force_grouped_idx;
} else {
bool lhs_has_group = lhs_core->leader != lhs_core || lhs_core->nr_members > 1;

lhs_sort_idx = lhs_has_group ? lhs_core->leader->idx : lhs_core->idx;
}
- if (*force_grouped_idx != -1 && arch_evsel__must_be_in_group(rhs)) {
+ if (rhs->dont_regroup) {
+ rhs_sort_idx = rhs_core->idx;
+ } else if (*force_grouped_idx != -1 && arch_evsel__must_be_in_group(rhs)) {
rhs_sort_idx = *force_grouped_idx;
} else {
bool rhs_has_group = rhs_core->leader != rhs_core || rhs_core->nr_members > 1;
@@ -2078,10 +2082,10 @@ static int parse_events__sort_events_and_fix_groups(struct list_head *list)
*/
idx = 0;
list_for_each_entry(pos, list, core.node) {
- const struct evsel *pos_leader = evsel__leader(pos);
+ struct evsel *pos_leader = evsel__leader(pos);
const char *pos_pmu_name = pos->group_pmu_name;
const char *cur_leader_pmu_name;
- bool pos_force_grouped = force_grouped_idx != -1 &&
+ bool pos_force_grouped = force_grouped_idx != -1 && !pos->dont_regroup &&
arch_evsel__must_be_in_group(pos);

/* Reset index and nr_members. */
@@ -2095,8 +2099,8 @@ static int parse_events__sort_events_and_fix_groups(struct list_head *list)
* groups can't span PMUs.
*/
if (!cur_leader || pos->dont_regroup) {
- cur_leader = pos;
- cur_leaders_grp = &pos->core;
+ cur_leader = pos->dont_regroup ? pos_leader : pos;
+ cur_leaders_grp = &cur_leader->core;
if (pos_force_grouped)
force_grouped_leader = pos;
}
--
2.51.0.858.gf9c4a03a3a-goog