diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/Makefile.remote b/common/utils/T/tracer/Makefile.remote
index 1e7468861d2db7e3599e973122dc983038d7f1eb..fdebee915cf92bb54f931398bbc40ce25dd90245 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/Makefile.remote
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/Makefile.remote
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ OBJS=remote_old.o plot.o database.o gui.o
 $(PROG): gui/gui.a $(OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(PROG) $(OBJS) gui/gui.a $(LIBS)
 
+textlog: remote.o database.o event.o handler.o textlog.o
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o textlog $^
+
 .PHONY: gui/gui.a
 
 gui/gui.a:
@@ -22,5 +25,5 @@ gui/gui.a:
 main.o: ../T_IDs.h ../T_defs.h
 
 clean:
-	rm -f *.o $(PROG) core
+	rm -f *.o $(PROG) core textlog
 	cd gui && make clean
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/event.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/event.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..88668eaf7f301baec2d1ddcd4b868c7d0522e109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/event.c
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#include "event.h"
+#include "database.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+event new_event(int type, int length, char *buffer, void *database)
+{
+  database_event_format f;
+  event e;
+  int i;
+  int offset;
+
+  e.type = type;
+  e.buffer = buffer;
+
+  f = get_format(database, type);
+
+  e.ecount = f.count;
+
+  offset = 0;
+
+  /* setup offsets */
+  /* TODO: speedup (no strcmp, string event to include length at head) */
+  for (i = 0; i < f.count; i++) {
+    //e.e[i].offset = offset;
+    if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "int")) {
+      e.e[i].type = EVENT_INT;
+      e.e[i].i = *(int *)(&buffer[offset]);
+      offset += 4;
+    } else if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "string")) {
+      e.e[i].type = EVENT_STRING;
+      e.e[i].s = &buffer[offset];
+      while (buffer[offset]) offset++;
+      offset++;
+    } else if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "buffer")) {
+      int len;
+      e.e[i].type = EVENT_BUFFER;
+      len = *(int *)(&buffer[offset]);
+      e.e[i].bsize = len;
+      e.e[i].b = &buffer[offset+sizeof(int)];
+      offset += len+sizeof(int);
+    } else {
+      printf("unhandled type '%s'\n", f.type[i]);
+      abort();
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (e.ecount==0) { printf("FORMAT not set in event %d\n", type); abort(); }
+
+  return e;
+}
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/event.h b/common/utils/T/tracer/event.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..88f6e4eeb47d63f55c6ddaa27834d86b61181d2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/event.h
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#ifndef _EVENT_H_
+#define _EVENT_H_
+
+#include "../T_defs.h"
+
+enum event_arg_type {
+  EVENT_INT,
+  EVENT_STRING,
+  EVENT_BUFFER
+};
+
+typedef struct {
+  enum event_arg_type type;
+  //int offset;
+  union {
+    int i;
+    char *s;
+    struct {
+      int bsize;
+      void *b;
+    };
+  };
+} event_arg;
+
+typedef struct {
+  int type;
+  char *buffer;
+  event_arg e[T_MAX_ARGS];
+  int ecount;
+} event;
+
+event new_event(int type, int length, char *buffer, void *database);
+
+#endif /* _EVENT_H_ */
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..15722f5e5f90032e6c05b20174548397929dbc0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.c
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#include "handler.h"
+#include "event.h"
+#include "database.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+typedef void (*handler_function)(void *p, event e);
+
+struct handler_data {
+  handler_function f;
+  void *p;
+  unsigned long id;
+};
+
+struct handler_list {
+  struct handler_data *f;
+  int size;
+  int maxsize;
+};
+
+/* internal definition of an event handler */
+struct _event_handler {
+  void *database;
+  struct handler_list *events;
+  unsigned long next_id;
+};
+
+#if 0
+#include <stdio.h>
+void handle_event(event_handler *h, event e)
+{
+  int i;
+  printf("event %s (%d)\n", event_name_from_id(h->database, e.type), e.type);
+  for (i = 0; i < e.ecount; i++) {
+    switch (e.e[i].type) {
+    case EVENT_INT:
+      printf("    %d: INT %d\n", i, *(int *)&e.buffer[e.e[i].offset]);
+      break;
+    case EVENT_STRING:
+      printf("    %d: STRING '%s'\n", i, &e.buffer[e.e[i].offset]);
+      break;
+    case EVENT_BUFFER:
+      printf("    %d: BUFFER size %d\n", i, *(int *)&e.buffer[e.e[i].offset]);
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+}
+#endif
+
+void handle_event(event_handler *_h, event e)
+{
+  struct _event_handler *h = _h;
+  int i;
+  for (i = 0; i < h->events[e.type].size; i++)
+    h->events[e.type].f[i].f(h->events[e.type].f[i].p, e);
+}
+
+event_handler *new_handler(void *database)
+{
+  struct _event_handler *ret = calloc(1, sizeof(struct _event_handler));
+  if (ret == NULL) abort();
+
+  ret->database = database;
+
+  ret->events = calloc(number_of_ids(database), sizeof(struct handler_list));
+  if (ret->events == NULL) abort();
+
+  ret->next_id = 1;
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+unsigned long register_handler_function(event_handler *_h, int event_id,
+    void (*f)(void *, event), void *p)
+{
+  struct _event_handler *h = _h;
+  unsigned long ret = h->next_id;
+  struct handler_list *l;
+
+  h->next_id++;
+  if (h->next_id == 2UL * 1024 * 1024 * 1024)
+    { printf("%s:%d: this is bad...\n", __FILE__, __LINE__); abort(); }
+
+  l = &h->events[event_id];
+  if (l->size == l->maxsize) {
+    l->maxsize += 16;
+    l->f = realloc(l->f, l->maxsize * sizeof(struct handler_data));
+    if (l->f == NULL) abort();
+  }
+  l->f[l->size].f = f;
+  l->f[l->size].p = p;
+  l->f[l->size].id = ret;
+
+  l->size++;
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+void remove_handler_function(event_handler *h, int event_id,
+    unsigned long handler_id)
+{
+  printf("%s:%d: TODO\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
+  abort();
+}
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.h b/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5934e1704c52ff3ee9b5fb2239e2f2a602bc5bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/handler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#ifndef _HANDLER_H_
+#define _HANDLER_H_
+
+typedef void event_handler;
+
+#include "event.h"
+
+event_handler *new_handler(void *database);
+void handle_event(event_handler *h, event e);
+
+unsigned long register_handler_function(event_handler *_h, int event_id,
+    void (*f)(void *, event), void *p);
+void remove_handler_function(event_handler *h, int event_id,
+    unsigned long handler_id);
+
+#endif /* _HANDLER_H_ */
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..367772d7219709c4a0419df80f589286e0b879ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include "database.h"
+#include "event.h"
+#include "handler.h"
+#include "textlog.h"
+#include "../T_defs.h"
+
+#define DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT 2020
+
+int get_connection(char *addr, int port)
+{
+  struct sockaddr_in a;
+  socklen_t alen;
+  int s, t;
+
+  printf("waiting for connection on %s:%d\n", addr, port);
+
+  s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+  if (s == -1) { perror("socket"); exit(1); }
+  t = 1;
+  if (setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &t, sizeof(int)))
+    { perror("setsockopt"); exit(1); }
+
+  a.sin_family = AF_INET;
+  a.sin_port = htons(port);
+  a.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(addr);
+
+  if (bind(s, (struct sockaddr *)&a, sizeof(a))) { perror("bind"); exit(1); }
+  if (listen(s, 5)) { perror("bind"); exit(1); }
+  alen = sizeof(a);
+  t = accept(s, (struct sockaddr *)&a, &alen);
+  if (t == -1) { perror("accept"); exit(1); }
+  close(s);
+
+  printf("connected\n");
+
+  return t;
+}
+
+void usage(void)
+{
+  printf(
+"options:\n"
+"    -d <database file>        this option is mandatory\n"
+"    -on <GROUP or ID>         turn log ON for given GROUP or ID\n"
+"    -off <GROUP or ID>        turn log OFF for given GROUP or ID\n"
+"    -ON                       turn all logs ON\n"
+"    -OFF                      turn all logs OFF\n"
+"                              note: you may pass several -on/-off/-ON/-OFF,\n"
+"                                    they will be processed in order\n"
+"                                    by default, all is off\n"
+"    -r <port>                 remote side: use given port (default %d)\n",
+  DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT
+  );
+  exit(1);
+}
+
+int fullread(int fd, void *_buf, int count)
+{
+  char *buf = _buf;
+  int ret = 0;
+  int l;
+  while (count) {
+    l = read(fd, buf, count);
+    if (l <= 0) { printf("read socket problem\n"); abort(); }
+    count -= l;
+    buf += l;
+    ret += l;
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
+
+event get_event(int s, char *v, void *d)
+{
+  int type;
+  int32_t length;
+
+  fullread(s, &length, 4);
+  fullread(s, &type, sizeof(int));
+  length -= sizeof(int);
+  fullread(s, v, length);
+
+  return new_event(type, length, v, d);
+}
+
+int main(int n, char **v)
+{
+  char *database_filename = NULL;
+  void *database;
+  int port = DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT;
+  char **on_off_name;
+  int *on_off_action;
+  int on_off_n = 0;
+  int *is_on;
+  int number_of_events;
+  int s;
+  int i;
+  char t;
+  int l;
+  event_handler *h;
+  textlog *textlog;
+
+  on_off_name = malloc(n * sizeof(char *)); if (on_off_name == NULL) abort();
+  on_off_action = malloc(n * sizeof(int)); if (on_off_action == NULL) abort();
+
+  for (i = 1; i < n; i++) {
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-h") || !strcmp(v[i], "--help")) usage();
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-d"))
+      { if (i > n-2) usage(); database_filename = v[++i]; continue; }
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-r"))
+      { if (i > n-2) usage(); port = atoi(v[++i]); continue; }
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-on")) { if (i > n-2) usage();
+      on_off_name[on_off_n]=v[++i]; on_off_action[on_off_n++]=1; continue; }
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-off")) { if (i > n-2) usage();
+      on_off_name[on_off_n]=v[++i]; on_off_action[on_off_n++]=0; continue; }
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-ON"))
+      { on_off_name[on_off_n]=NULL; on_off_action[on_off_n++]=1; continue; }
+    if (!strcmp(v[i], "-OFF"))
+      { on_off_name[on_off_n]=NULL; on_off_action[on_off_n++]=0; continue; }
+    usage();
+  }
+
+  if (database_filename == NULL) {
+    printf("ERROR: provide a database file (-d)\n");
+    exit(1);
+  }
+
+  database = parse_database(database_filename);
+
+  number_of_events = number_of_ids(database);
+  is_on = calloc(number_of_events, sizeof(int));
+  if (is_on == NULL) abort();
+
+  h = new_handler(database);
+
+  textlog = new_textlog(h, database,
+      "ENB_UL_CHANNEL_ESTIMATE",
+      "ev: {} eNB_id [eNB_ID] frame [frame] subframe [subframe]");
+
+  for (i = 0; i < on_off_n; i++)
+    on_off(database, on_off_name[i], is_on, on_off_action[i]);
+
+  s = get_connection("127.0.0.1", port);
+
+  /* send the first message - activate selected traces */
+  t = 0;
+  if (write(s, &t, 1) != 1) abort();
+  l = 0;
+  for (i = 0; i < number_of_events; i++) if (is_on[i]) l++;
+  if (write(s, &l, sizeof(int)) != sizeof(int)) abort();
+  for (l = 0; l < number_of_events; l++)
+    if (is_on[l])
+      if (write(s, &l, sizeof(int)) != sizeof(int)) abort();
+
+  /* read messages */
+  while (1) {
+    char v[T_BUFFER_MAX];
+    event e;
+    e = get_event(s, v, database);
+    handle_event(h, e);
+  }
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e6728f9674badcc66270064db3878b2dbd039f80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+#include "textlog.h"
+#include "handler.h"
+#include "database.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+enum format_item_type {
+  INSTRING,
+  INT, STRING, BUFFER };
+
+struct format_item {
+  enum format_item_type type;
+  union {
+    /* INSTRING */
+    char *s;
+    /* others */
+    int event_arg;
+  };
+};
+
+struct textlog {
+  char *event_name;
+  char *format;
+  void *database;
+  unsigned long handler_id;
+  struct format_item *f;
+  int fsize;
+};
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+static void _event(void *p, event e)
+{
+  struct textlog *l = p;
+  int i;
+//printf("%s %s\n", l->event_name, l->format);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < l->fsize; i++)
+  switch(l->f[i].type) {
+  case INSTRING: printf("%s", l->f[i].s); break;
+  case INT:      printf("%d", e.e[l->f[i].event_arg].i); break;
+  case STRING:   printf("%s", e.e[l->f[i].event_arg].s); break;
+  case BUFFER:   printf("{buffer size:%d}",e.e[l->f[i].event_arg].bsize);break;
+  }
+  printf("\n");
+}
+
+enum chunk_type { C_ERROR, C_STRING, C_ARG_NAME, C_EVENT_NAME };
+struct chunk {
+  enum chunk_type type;
+  char *s;
+  enum format_item_type it;
+  int event_arg;
+};
+
+/* TODO: speed it up? */
+static int find_argument(char *name, database_event_format f,
+    enum format_item_type *it, int *event_arg)
+{
+  int i;
+  for (i = 0; i < f.count; i++) if (!strcmp(name, f.name[i])) break;
+  if (i == f.count) return 0;
+  *event_arg = i;
+  if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "int"))         *it = INT;
+  else if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "string")) *it = STRING;
+  else if (!strcmp(f.type[i], "buffer")) *it = BUFFER;
+  else return 0;
+  return 1;
+}
+
+static struct chunk next_chunk(char **s, database_event_format f)
+{
+  char *cur = *s;
+  char *name;
+  enum format_item_type it;
+  int event_arg;
+
+  /* argument in [ ] */
+  if (*cur == '[') {
+    *cur = 0;
+    cur++;
+    name = cur;
+    /* no \ allowed there */
+    while (*cur && *cur != ']' && *cur != '\\') cur++;
+    if (*cur != ']') goto error;
+    *cur = 0;
+    cur++;
+    *s = cur;
+    if (find_argument(name, f, &it, &event_arg) == 0) goto error;
+    return (struct chunk){type:C_ARG_NAME, s:name, it:it, event_arg:event_arg};
+  }
+
+  /* { } is name of event (anything in between is smashed) */
+  if (*cur == '{') {
+    *cur = 0;
+    cur++;
+    while (*cur && *cur != '}') cur++;
+    if (*cur != '}') goto error;
+    *cur = 0;
+    cur++;
+    *s = cur;
+    return (struct chunk){type:C_EVENT_NAME};
+  }
+
+  /* anything but [ and { is raw string */
+  /* TODO: deal with \ */
+  name = cur;
+  while (*cur && *cur != '[' && *cur != '{') cur++;
+  *s = cur;
+  return (struct chunk){type:C_STRING, s:name};
+
+error:
+  return (struct chunk){type:C_ERROR};
+}
+
+textlog *new_textlog(event_handler *h, void *database,
+    char *event_name, char *format)
+{
+  struct textlog *ret;
+  int event_id;
+  database_event_format f;
+  char *cur;
+
+  ret = calloc(1, sizeof(struct textlog)); if (ret == NULL) abort();
+
+  ret->event_name = strdup(event_name); if (ret->event_name == NULL) abort();
+  ret->format = strdup(format); if (ret->format == NULL) abort();
+  ret->database = database;
+
+  event_id = event_id_from_name(database, event_name);
+
+  ret->handler_id = register_handler_function(h, event_id, _event, ret);
+
+  f = get_format(database, event_id);
+
+  /* we won't get more than strlen(format) "chunks" */
+  ret->f = malloc(sizeof(struct format_item) * strlen(format));
+  if (ret->f == NULL) abort();
+
+  cur = ret->format;
+
+  while (*cur) {
+printf("before chunk cur '%s'\n", cur);
+    struct chunk c = next_chunk(&cur, f);
+printf("after chunk, cur is '%s' (%d) (type %d)\n", cur, *cur, c.type);
+    switch (c.type) {
+    case C_ERROR: goto error;
+    case C_STRING:
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].type = INSTRING;
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].s = c.s;
+      break;
+    case C_ARG_NAME:
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].type = c.it;
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].event_arg = c.event_arg;
+      break;
+    case C_EVENT_NAME:
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].type = INSTRING;
+      ret->f[ret->fsize].s = ret->event_name;
+      break;
+    }
+    ret->fsize++;
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+
+error:
+  printf("%s:%d: bad format '%s'\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, format);
+  abort();
+}
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.h b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5c23f3a2db8af2a6854d4ac02d9dfbc7178a09c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef _TEXTLOG_H_
+#define _TEXTLOG_H_
+
+typedef void textlog;
+
+textlog *new_textlog(void *event_handler, void *database,
+    char *event_name, char *format);
+
+#endif /* _TEXTLOG_H_ */