Linux Profiling with Mohammed Billoo

About this episode

The episode features an interview with Mohammed Billoo discussing embedded Linux profiling and optimization techniques.

We sit down with Mohammed Billoo, founder of Mab Labs and author of the Embedded Linux Essentials Handbook, to explore the world of embedded Linux profiling and optimization. Mohammed shares hard-won lessons from the field, including debugging a scientific instrument that mysteriously crashed after 60-minute runs and optimizing a sophisticated MANET platform that took a 20% throughput hit. The conversation reveals a fundamental truth: in embedded Linux, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. Mohammed walks us through his systematic approach to performance problems, starting with simple tools like HTOP before diving into specialized instrumentation. We discuss the critical difference between VM size and VM RSS for memory analysis, why dumping console output can kill boot times, and how to leverage kernel configurations for maximum diagnostic bang-for-buck. Mohammed emphasizes the importance of building instrumentation into systems from day one—not for premature optimization, but to give your future self the data needed when problems inevitably surface. The discussion also touches on how LLMs can accelerate the learning curve for complex tools like Valgrind and perf, while stressing…

People in this episode

Hosts: Luca Ingianni, Jeff Gable

Guest: Mohammed Billoo

Topics covered

• embedded Linux
• profiling
• optimization
• performance problems
• memory analysis
• instrumentation
• debugging

Keywords

• Linux profiling
• performance optimization
• HTOP
• memory analysis
• Valgrind
• kernel configurations
• MANET platform
• debugging
• instrumentation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mab Labs

Books & works: Embedded Linux Essentials Handbook

More episodes of The Agile Embedded Podcast

• Factory Firmware Flashing with Pete Staples · June 9, 2026 · 51 min
• Requirements Engineering, part 2: A Practical Process for Safety-Critical Development · May 27, 2026 · 50 min
• Fuzzing and Dynamic Analysis for High-Integrity Software with Paul Butcher · May 13, 2026 · 49 min
• E94 Requirements Engineering, part 1: Fundamentals · April 15, 2026 · 47 min
• Hardware-Software Co-Development with Tobias Kästner · April 1, 2026 · 53 min
• Test-Driven Development in the Age of AI · March 18, 2026 · 42 min