Show HN: Xtrace – Unix-Style macOS Profiling for Instruments (CPU/GPU/Memory)

Category: devtools

Tags: profiling, macos, cli-tool, gpu, cpu, memory, developer-tools

Score: 7.5/10 (Innovation: 7, Technical: 8, Documentation: 8, Utility: 7)

Xtrace is a command-line profiling tool for macOS that bridges the gap between Apple's GUI-only Instruments and raw xctrace, enabling Unix-style pipeable profiling of CPU, GPU, and memory. It offers time-resolved analysis, before/after comparison, multiple output formats, and integrates as an AI agent skill for Cursor, Claude Code, and Pi. Its innovative combination of easy-to-use CLI interface with advanced profiling capabilities makes it a unique and valuable tool for macOS developers.

Target audience: backend devs, performance engineers, game developers, metal developers

Repository: https://github.com/Kr1sso/xtrace-skill · Python · MIT · 16 stars

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