> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.odigos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enable continuous profiling

> Enable the VM Agent eBPF profiling pipeline, add sources, and export profiles to Pyroscope.

This guide walks you through enabling the eBPF profiling pipeline on a host, and adding a destination that accepts OTLP profiles.

## Step 1: Enable the profiling pipeline

Turn on the eBPF profiles pipeline on **odigos-otelcol**. You can use `odictl` or edit `/etc/odigos-vmagent/config.yaml` directly.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="odictl">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the Configuration Editor">
        ```shell theme={null}
        odictl
        ```

        Press <Badge color="blue">c</Badge> to open the Configuration Editor, then navigate to **Profiling**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Set profiling.enabled to true">
        Set **profiling.enabled** to `true` and press <Badge color="blue">Ctrl+S</Badge> to save. The collector reloads automatically.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="YAML">
    Add to `/etc/odigos-vmagent/config.yaml`:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    profiling:
      enabled: true
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Step 2: Enable sources for the workloads you want to profile

Profiling only retains samples for **enabled sources**. Open `odictl`, focus the **Sources** pane (press `o`), and instrument the services you want sampled. The screenshot below shows the demo workloads enabled (`Instrumented`) alongside other host processes that stay untouched (`Not Instrumented`).

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/odigos/Z3K5Ztm4CqA3lhsa/images/vmagent/profiling/1-ensure-source-enabled.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Z3K5Ztm4CqA3lhsa&q=85&s=938295b5d8a6f8fbabda13a8e541747d" alt="Sources panel in odictl showing the demo services instrumented" width="1952" height="974" data-path="images/vmagent/profiling/1-ensure-source-enabled.png" />

See [Sources](../../setup/configuration/add-sources) for the full walkthrough (TUI and YAML).

<Tip>
  Toggling a source on or off takes effect within seconds — no vm-agent restart is needed. The collector keeps streaming profiles, but only samples for currently-enabled PIDs are exported.
</Tip>

## Step 3: Add a destination that accepts PROFILES

Open **Destinations → + Add Destination** and search for **profiles**. Any destination whose **Signals** column includes `PROFILES` or they accept OTLP Profiles signal works.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/odigos/Z3K5Ztm4CqA3lhsa/images/vmagent/profiling/2-profile-destination.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Z3K5Ztm4CqA3lhsa&q=85&s=ba6fca5e5cafa507b29424e237eca499" alt="odictl destination type selector filtered by profiles" width="1954" height="984" data-path="images/vmagent/profiling/2-profile-destination.png" />

As an example for step-by-step Pyroscope configuration, jump to [Export to Pyroscope](./export-pyroscope). For any other OTLP Profiles backend (e.g. `otlp` or `otlphttp`), follow the standard [Add destinations](../../setup/configuration/add-destinations).

## Step 4: View profiles in the destination

Open your destination's UI and you should be able to access the application profiles collected.
eg in Pyroscope, select profile type **`process_cpu`** and filter by **`service.name`** values that match your sources. See [Export to Pyroscope → View profiles](./export-pyroscope#view-profiles) for detailed example.

## Getting Help

If you have any issues, or require our assistance, please open an issue in [GitHub](https://github.com/odigos-io/odigos), or reach out to us in [Odigos Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/odigos/shared_invite/zt-24u91yknm-0fLXu6qnqYfNHS_GSUgTJw)