Shell command: perf

Counting instructions

$ echo '
.intel_syntax noprefix

.data

string_to_print:
.ascii "Hello, World\n"

.text
.globl _start

_start:
    mov rax, 60        # syscall number for exit
    xor rdi, rdi       # exit status is in rdi, set it to 0:
    syscall            # invoke kernel
' | gcc -nostdlib -x assembler -o /tmp/small -

$ perf stat -e instructions /tmp/small

See also