Arm Performix

Arm Performix is a desktop application that provides performance analysis and profiling for Arm-based Linux systems. Arm Performix connects to remote Arm Linux targets via SSH and provides a graphical interface for capturing and analyzing performance data using hardware performance counters and the top-down methodology.

Arm Performix provides capabilities for:

• Performance profiling using hardware performance monitoring counters
• Top-down methodology analysis for identifying performance bottlenecks
• System-wide and per-process profiling
• Command-line interface (CLI) included with the GUI installation
• SSH-based remote target connections with optional jump node support

Arm Performix is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux host machines, and connects to Arm Linux target systems running Amazon Linux 2023, Ubuntu 22.04, or Ubuntu 24.04.

What should I do before installing Arm Performix?

Arm Performix requires different packages depending on your host platform:

• Windows: Windows 10 or later (Arm64 or x64 architecture)
• macOS: macOS on Arm64 (Apple Silicon)
• Linux: Debian-based distribution on Arm64 or x64 architecture

You also need access to an Arm Linux target system for profiling.

How do I download and install Arm Performix?

Arm Performix is distributed as platform-specific installer packages. The installation includes both the GUI and the CLI tool (apx).

How do I install Arm Performix on Windows?

Download the Windows installer package for your architecture from the Arm Performix download page .

Alternatively, download using PowerShell. These commands require PowerShell and do not work in the Windows Command Prompt (CMD):

    

        
        

curl -o ArmPerformix-windows-arm64.exe https://artifacts.tools.arm.com/arm-performix/app/latest/windows/arm64/ArmPerformix-windows-arm64.exe
  

    

    

        
        

curl -o ArmPerformix-windows-x64.exe https://artifacts.tools.arm.com/arm-performix/app/latest/windows/x64/ArmPerformix-windows-x64.exe
  

    

After downloading the .exe file, locate it in your Downloads folder and double-click it to start the installation wizard.

Review the License Agreement and select I Agree.

Choose whether to install Arm Performix for all users or just yourself, then select Next.

If you choose Anyone who uses this computer (all users), a User Access Control dialog opens. Enter an administrator username and password, then select Yes.

Choose the installation directory. You can accept the default or select Browse to choose a different location.

Select Install.

When the installation finishes, select Finish to close the wizard.

How do I install Arm Performix on Linux?

Download the Linux installer package for your architecture from the Arm Performix download page .

Alternatively, download using wget:

    

        
        

wget -P $HOME https://artifacts.tools.arm.com/arm-performix/app/latest/linux/arm64/ArmPerformix-linux-arm64.deb 
  

    

    

        
        

wget -P $HOME https://artifacts.tools.arm.com/arm-performix/app/latest/linux/x64/ArmPerformix-linux-amd64.deb 
  

    

After downloading the .deb file, navigate to the directory where you downloaded it:

    

        
        
cd $HOME

    

Update the package list:

    

        
        
sudo apt update

    

Install the package:

    

        
        
sudo dpkg -i ArmPerformix-linux-arm64.deb 

    

The dpkg command may report missing dependency errors. Run the following command to automatically fetch and install any missing dependencies:

    

        
        
sudo apt-get install -f

    

Navigate to the Arm Performix installation directory:

    

        
        
cd "/opt/Arm Performix/assets/apx/"

    

Verify the installation by checking the version:

    

        
        
./apx version

    

The output shows the installed version number:

    

        
        Daemon process started; to stop call `apx daemon stop`.
Arm Performix CLI version: 1.0.0
Arm Performix daemon version: 1.0.0

        
    

How do I install Arm Performix on macOS?

Download the macOS installer package from the Arm Performix download page .

Alternatively, download using curl:

    

        
        
curl -Lo ArmPerformix-darwin-arm64.pkg https://artifacts.tools.arm.com/arm-performix/app/latest/darwin/arm64/ArmPerformix-darwin-arm64.pkg

    

After downloading the .pkg file, navigate to the directory where you downloaded it and double-click the file to start the installer.

Review the license agreement and select Agree.

Choose the installation destination. By default, Arm Performix installs on your system drive.

Select Install and enter your macOS administrator password when prompted.

Wait while the installer copies the files.

When the installation finishes, select Close to exit the installer.

How do I prepare my target for Arm Performix connections?

Before connecting to an Arm Linux target, ensure SSH key-based authentication is configured and that passwordless sudo access is enabled. If you already manage your target system via SSH, you likely have most of this setup complete.

Check your existing SSH key

Verify that you can connect to your target using SSH. Replace user with your username and target_host with your target’s hostname or IP address:

    

        
        
ssh user@target_host

    

If the connection works, you have SSH key authentication configured. Now check if your existing key has a passphrase. Try to display the public key:

    

        
        
ssh-keygen -y -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

    

If you’re prompted for a passphrase, your key is protected with one. Arm Performix doesn’t support SSH keys with passphrases, so you need to create a separate key without a passphrase for Arm Performix.

Create a passphrase-free key for Arm Performix (if needed)

If your existing SSH key has a passphrase, generate a new key specifically for Performix:

    

        
        
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/apx_key

    

Press Enter when prompted for a passphrase to leave it empty.

Copy the new public key to your target. If your existing SSH key is at a non-default location (for example, ~/cloud-keys/my-instance.pem), specify it when copying:

    

        
        
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/apx_key.pub -o "IdentityFile=~/cloud-keys/my-instance.pem" user@target_host

    

If your existing key is in the default location (~/.ssh/id_ed25519 or ~/.ssh/id_rsa), use:

    

        
        
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/apx_key.pub user@target_host

    

You can now use ~/.ssh/apx_key as the private key when configuring the Arm Performix target connection.

Enable passwordless sudo on the target

Performix needs to run commands with elevated privileges on the target system. Because Performix cannot enter sudo passwords interactively, configure passwordless sudo access.

On the target system, edit the sudoers file:

    

        
        
sudo visudo

    

Add the following line, replacing <username> with your actual username:

    

        
        
<username> ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

    

Save and exit the editor.

How do I connect Arm Performix to a target?

After installing Arm Performix and preparing your target, you can connect using either the GUI or the CLI.

Connect using the Arm Performix GUI

Use the GUI on Windows and macOS hosts, though you can also run it on Linux.

Open the Arm Performix application.

On the home page, select Connect a target or select Targets in the activity bar to open the Targets view.

Select Add Target.

In the Configure Target form, provide the following details:

• Host: the hostname or IP address of the target machine
• Name: a descriptive name for the target
• Port: the SSH port number (default is 22)
• User: the username for SSH connection
• SSH Private Key: choose Automatically Detect Key or Select Key Manually
  • For manual selection, enter the path to your private key (usually ~/.ssh/id_rsa or ~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
• Host Key Verification: Choose Strict (recommended) or Ignore
  • Strict mode verifies the server identity using your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file

Configure Target form with connection settings

Select Add Target.

The target appears in the targets list and is ready for profiling.

You can select the Test Connection button to verify your connection to the Performix Linux target is successful.

Successful Arm Performix target connection test

Configure jump nodes (optional)

If your target is behind a bastion host or requires intermediate servers for access, add jump nodes in the GUI:

In the Jump Node section, select Add Jump Node.

Provide the jump node details:

• Host: The hostname or IP address of the jump node
• Port: The SSH port (default is 22)
• User: The username for the jump node
• SSH Private Key: The key file path (if using manual selection)

Select Add to save the jump node.

You can add multiple jump nodes. The order matters—your connection uses them in sequence. Use drag and drop to reorder jump nodes.

Connect using the Arm Performix CLI

The CLI is useful for Linux hosts or when you prefer command-line workflows.

The apx command-line tool is installed automatically with the GUI. On Linux, you can find it at:

    

        
        
/opt/Arm\ Performix/assets/apx/apx 

    

For convenience, add it to your PATH or create an alias:

    

        
        
export PATH="/opt/Arm Performix/assets/apx:$PATH"

    

Use the CLI help for command-line usage:

    

        
        
apx --help

    

Profile the local machine

If your target is the same machine where you installed Arm Performix (the host machine itself), Arm Performix automatically provides a built-in localhost target. You don’t need to configure authentication, SSH keys, or host verification for local profiling.

Verify the localhost target is available by listing all configured targets:

    

        
        
apx target list

    

The output is similar to:

    

        
        name      default  host_key_policy  value
localhost yes      localhost
1 registered target found

        
    

Your local machine is now ready to use as a target. Specify --target=localhost when running Arm Performix commands.

Add a remote target

To profile a workload on a remote machine, add it as a target using the standard syntax. This command registers the remote system with Performix:

    

        
        
apx target add <user>@<host>:<port>:<private_ssh_key_path>

    

Where:

• user: (Optional) SSH username. If not specified, uses your current system username
• host: (Required) Target hostname or IP address
• port: (Optional) SSH port. Default is 22
• private_ssh_key_path: (Optional) Path to your private SSH key

For example, to connect to a target at 192.168.1.10 using the ubuntu username:

    

        
        
apx target add ubuntu@192.168.1.10

    

You can also use JSON format to specify the target:

    

        
        
apx target add '{
  "host": "192.168.1.10",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "ubuntu",
  "privateKeyFilename": "~/.ssh/apx_key",
  "hostKeyPolicy": "accept-new"
}'

    

Authentication options:

Choose one of the following methods to authenticate with your target:

• Use an existing SSH key in a non-default location:

  If your private key is not in ~/.ssh/id_rsa or ~/.ssh/id_ed25519, specify its path in the target command:

      
  
          
          
  apx target add user@host:22:/path/to/private_ssh_key
  
      
  

• Automatically detect an existing SSH key:

  Arm Performix searches common locations (~/.ssh/id_rsa, ~/.ssh/id_ed25519, etc.) for a usable key:

      
  
          
          
  apx target add user@host --find-keys
  
      
  

• Generate and configure a new SSH key pair using password authentication:

  If your target supports password-based SSH login, Performix can generate a new key pair and configure it automatically:

      
  
          
          
  apx target add user@host --password
  
      
  

  This option:

  • Generates an RSA 4096-bit key pair on your host (without a passphrase)
  • Authenticates to the target using the password you provide
  • Adds the public key to the target’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file
  • Records the target’s host key in the known hosts list
  • Stores the private key securely for future connections
  • Discards the password immediately after use (not stored)

Host key verification:

Specify host key verification with the --host-key-policy flag:

• strict: (Default) Fail if the host key is unknown or changed
• ignore: Disable host key verification
• accept-new: Accept unknown keys, but warn if they change later

    

        
        
apx target add user@host --host-key-policy accept-new

    

Naming and default targets:

Give your target a friendly name using --name:

    

        
        
apx target add ubuntu@192.168.1.10 --name my-target

    

Make a target the default for future commands with --default:

    

        
        
apx target add ubuntu@192.168.1.10 --name my-target --default

    

After you run this command, my-target becomes the default target for future commands.

Using jump nodes:

If your target requires jump nodes (bastion hosts), use the --jump flag. Specify jump nodes in connection order:

    

        
        
apx target add user@final-host --jump user@jumphost1 --jump admin@jumphost2

    

This connects through jumphost1, then jumphost2, then final-host.

Verify and manage targets:

Test the connection to a target:

    

        
        
apx target test my-target

    

List all configured targets:

    

        
        
apx target list

    

Remove a target:

    

        
        
apx target remove my-target

    

How do I uninstall Arm Performix?

To remove Arm Performix from your system, use the appropriate method for your platform:

• For Windows, open Settings > Apps, find Arm Performix, and select Uninstall.

• For macOS, drag the Arm Performix application from Applications to the Trash.

• For Linux, remove the package:

    

        
        
sudo apt remove arm-performix