README - busybox - Git at Google

 Please see the LICENSE file for details on copying and usage.

 BusyBox combines tiny versions of many common UNIX utilities into a single
 small executable. It provides minimalist replacements for most of the utilities
 you usually find in GNU coreutils, util-linux, etc. The utilities in BusyBox
 generally have fewer options than their full-featured GNU cousins; however, the
 options that are included provide the expected functionality and behave very
 much like their GNU counterparts.

 BusyBox has been written with size-optimization and limited resources in mind.
 It is also extremely modular so you can easily include or exclude commands (or
 features) at compile time. This makes it easy to customize your embedded
 systems. To create a working system, just add /dev, /etc, and a Linux kernel.
 BusyBox provides a fairly complete POSIX environment for any small or embedded
 system.

 BusyBox is extremely configurable.  This allows you to include only the
 components you need, thereby reducing binary size. Run 'make config' or
 'make menuconfig' to select the functionality that you wish to enable.

 After the build is complete, a busybox.links file is generated.  This is
 used by 'make install' to create symlinks to the BusyBox binary for all
 compiled in functions.  By default, 'make install' will place the symlink
 forest into `pwd`/_install unless you have defined the PREFIX environment
 variable (i.e., 'make PREFIX=/tmp/foo install')

 If you wish to install hard links, rather than symlinks, you can use
 'make PREFIX=/tmp/foo install-hardlinks' instead.

 ----------------

 Supported architectures:

    BusyBox in general will build on any architecture supported by gcc.  It has
    a few specialized features added for __sparc__ and __alpha__.  insmod
    functionality is currently limited to x86, ARM, SH3/4, powerpc, m68k,
    MIPS, cris, and v850e.

 Supported C Libraries:

    glibc-2.0.x, glibc-2.1.x, glibc-2.2.x, glibc-2.3.x, uClibc.  People
    are looking at newlib and diet-libc, but consider them unsupported,
    untested, or worse.  Linux-libc5 is no longer supported -- you
    should probably use uClibc instead if you want a small C library.

 Supported kernels:

    Full functionality requires Linux 2.2.x or better.  A large fraction of the
    code should run on just about anything.  While the current code is fairly
    Linux specific, it should be fairly easy to port the majority of the code
    to, say, FreeBSD or Solaris, or Mac OS X, or even Windows (if you are into
    that sort of thing).

 ----------------

 Getting help:

 When you find you need help, you can check out the BusyBox mailing list
 archives at http://busybox.net/lists/busybox/ or even join
 the mailing list if you are interested.

 ----------------

 Bugs:

 If you find bugs, please submit a detailed bug report to the BusyBox mailing
 list at busybox@mail.busybox.net.  A well-written bug report should include a
 transcript of a shell session that demonstrates the bad behavior and enables
 anyone else to duplicate the bug on their own machine. The following is such
 an example:

     To: busybox@mail.busybox.net
     From: diligent@testing.linux.org
     Subject: /bin/date doesn't work

     Package: BusyBox
     Version: 1.00

     When I execute BusyBox 'date' it produces unexpected results.
     With GNU date I get the following output:

 	$ date
 	Sat Mar 27 14:19:41 MST 2004

     But when I use BusyBox date I get this instead:

 	$ date
 	illegal instruction

     I am using Debian unstable, kernel version 2.4.25-vrs2 on a Netwinder,
     and the latest uClibc from CVS.  Thanks for the wonderful program!

 	-Diligent

 Note the careful description and use of examples showing not only what BusyBox
 does, but also a counter example showing what an equivalent GNU app does.  Bug
 reports lacking such detail may never be fixed...  Thanks for understanding.

 ----------------

 Downloads:

 Source for the latest released version, as well as daily snapshots, can always
 be downloaded from
     http://busybox.net/downloads/

 ----------------

 CVS:

 BusyBox now has its own publicly browsable CVS tree at:
     http://busybox.net/cgi-bin/cvsweb/busybox/

 Anonymous CVS access is available.  For instructions, check out:
     http://busybox.net/cvs_anon.html

 For those that are actively contributing there is even CVS write access:
     http://busybox.net/cvs_write.html

 ----------------

 Please feed suggestions, bug reports, insults, and bribes back to:
 	Erik Andersen
 	<andersen@codepoet.org>
	Please see the LICENSE file for details on copying and usage.

	BusyBox combines tiny versions of many common UNIX utilities into a single
	small executable. It provides minimalist replacements for most of the utilities
	you usually find in GNU coreutils, util-linux, etc. The utilities in BusyBox
	generally have fewer options than their full-featured GNU cousins; however, the
	options that are included provide the expected functionality and behave very
	much like their GNU counterparts.

	BusyBox has been written with size-optimization and limited resources in mind.
	It is also extremely modular so you can easily include or exclude commands (or
	features) at compile time. This makes it easy to customize your embedded
	systems. To create a working system, just add /dev, /etc, and a Linux kernel.
	BusyBox provides a fairly complete POSIX environment for any small or embedded
	system.

	BusyBox is extremely configurable. This allows you to include only the
	components you need, thereby reducing binary size. Run 'make config' or
	'make menuconfig' to select the functionality that you wish to enable.

	After the build is complete, a busybox.links file is generated. This is
	used by 'make install' to create symlinks to the BusyBox binary for all
	compiled in functions. By default, 'make install' will place the symlink
	forest into `pwd`/_install unless you have defined the PREFIX environment
	variable (i.e., 'make PREFIX=/tmp/foo install')

	If you wish to install hard links, rather than symlinks, you can use
	'make PREFIX=/tmp/foo install-hardlinks' instead.

	----------------

	Supported architectures:

	BusyBox in general will build on any architecture supported by gcc. It has
	a few specialized features added for __sparc__ and __alpha__. insmod
	functionality is currently limited to x86, ARM, SH3/4, powerpc, m68k,
	MIPS, cris, and v850e.

	Supported C Libraries:

	glibc-2.0.x, glibc-2.1.x, glibc-2.2.x, glibc-2.3.x, uClibc. People
	are looking at newlib and diet-libc, but consider them unsupported,
	untested, or worse. Linux-libc5 is no longer supported -- you
	should probably use uClibc instead if you want a small C library.

	Supported kernels:

	Full functionality requires Linux 2.2.x or better. A large fraction of the
	code should run on just about anything. While the current code is fairly
	Linux specific, it should be fairly easy to port the majority of the code
	to, say, FreeBSD or Solaris, or Mac OS X, or even Windows (if you are into
	that sort of thing).

	----------------

	Getting help:

	When you find you need help, you can check out the BusyBox mailing list
	archives at http://busybox.net/lists/busybox/ or even join
	the mailing list if you are interested.

	----------------

	Bugs:

	If you find bugs, please submit a detailed bug report to the BusyBox mailing
	list at busybox@mail.busybox.net. A well-written bug report should include a
	transcript of a shell session that demonstrates the bad behavior and enables
	anyone else to duplicate the bug on their own machine. The following is such
	an example:

	To: busybox@mail.busybox.net
	From: diligent@testing.linux.org
	Subject: /bin/date doesn't work

	Package: BusyBox
	Version: 1.00

	When I execute BusyBox 'date' it produces unexpected results.
	With GNU date I get the following output:

	$ date
	Sat Mar 27 14:19:41 MST 2004

	But when I use BusyBox date I get this instead:

	$ date
	illegal instruction

	I am using Debian unstable, kernel version 2.4.25-vrs2 on a Netwinder,
	and the latest uClibc from CVS. Thanks for the wonderful program!

	-Diligent

	Note the careful description and use of examples showing not only what BusyBox
	does, but also a counter example showing what an equivalent GNU app does. Bug
	reports lacking such detail may never be fixed... Thanks for understanding.

	----------------

	Downloads:

	Source for the latest released version, as well as daily snapshots, can always
	be downloaded from
	http://busybox.net/downloads/

	----------------

	CVS:

	BusyBox now has its own publicly browsable CVS tree at:
	http://busybox.net/cgi-bin/cvsweb/busybox/

	Anonymous CVS access is available. For instructions, check out:
	http://busybox.net/cvs_anon.html

	For those that are actively contributing there is even CVS write access:
	http://busybox.net/cvs_write.html

	----------------

	Please feed suggestions, bug reports, insults, and bribes back to:
	Erik Andersen
	<andersen@codepoet.org>