emo/busybox
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

More about configuring busybox.

Browse Source
This commit is contained in:
Rob Landley 2006-05-11 17:21:13 +00:00
parent 9b70093714
commit ac4c92da3b
1 changed files with 64 additions and 12 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

76
docs/busybox.net/FAQ.html
View File

@ -8,16 +8,17 @@ have additions to this FAQ document, we would love to add them,
<h2>General questions</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="#getting_started">How can I get started using BusyBox?</a>
<li><a href="#build_system">How do I build a BusyBox-based system?</a>
<li><a href="#kernel">Which Linux kernel versions are supported?</a>
<li><a href="#arch">Which architectures does BusyBox run on?</a>
<li><a href="#libc">Which C libraries are supported?</a>
<li><a href="#commercial">Can I include BusyBox as part of the software on my device?</a>
<li><a href="#external">Where can I find other small utilities since busybox does not include the features I want?</a></li>
<li><a href="#demanding">I demand that you to add &lt;favorite feature&gt; right now! How come you don't answer all my questions on the mailing list instantly? I demand that you help me with all of my problems <em>Right Now</em>!</a>
<li><a href="#helpme">I need help with BusyBox! What should I do?</a>
<li><a href="#contracts">I need you to add &lt;favorite feature&gt;! Are the BusyBox developers willing to be paid in order to fix bugs or add in &lt;favorite feature&gt;? Are you willing to provide support contracts?</a>
<li><a href="#getting_started">How can I get started using BusyBox?</a></li>
<li><a href="#configure">How do I configure busybox?</a></li>
<li><a href="#build_system">How do I build a BusyBox-based system?</a></li>
<li><a href="#kernel">Which Linux kernel versions are supported?</a></li>
<li><a href="#arch">Which architectures does BusyBox run on?</a></li>
<li><a href="#libc">Which C libraries are supported?</a></li>
<li><a href="#commercial">Can I include BusyBox as part of the software on my device?</a></li>
<li><a href="#external">Where can I find other small utilities since busybox does not include the features I want?</a></li></li>
<li><a href="#demanding">I demand that you to add &lt;favorite feature&gt; right now! How come you don't answer all my questions on the mailing list instantly? I demand that you help me with all of my problems <em>Right Now</em>!</a></li>
<li><a href="#helpme">I need help with BusyBox! What should I do?</a></li>
<li><a href="#contracts">I need you to add &lt;favorite feature&gt;! Are the BusyBox developers willing to be paid in order to fix bugs or add in &lt;favorite feature&gt;? Are you willing to provide support contracts?</a></li>
</ol>
<h2>Troubleshooting</h2>
@ -61,10 +62,10 @@ have additions to this FAQ document, we would love to add them,
<p>
<h2><a name="getting_started">How can I get started using BusyBox?</a></h2>
<p> If you just want to try out busybox without installing it, download the
tarball, extract it, run "make allyesconfig", and then run "make".
tarball, extract it, run "make defconfig", and then run "make".
</p>
<p>
This will create a busybox binary with all features enabled. To try
This will create a busybox binary with almost all features enabled. To try
out a busybox applet, type "./busybox [appletname] [options]", for
example "./busybox ls -l" or "./busybox cat LICENSE". Type "./busybox"
to see a command list, and "busybox appletname --help" to see a brief
@ -90,6 +91,57 @@ have additions to this FAQ document, we would love to add them,
standalone shell is dependent on the existence of /proc/self/exe, so before
using it in a chroot environment you must mount /proc.)
</p>
<hr />
<p>
<h2><a name="configure">How do I configure busybox?</a></h2>
<p> Busybox is configured similarly to the linux kernel. Create a default
configuration and then run "make menuconfig" to modify it. The end
result is a .config file that tells the busybox build process what features
to include. So instead of "./configure; make; make install" the equivalent
busybox build would be "make defconfig; make; make install".
</p>
<p> Busybox configured with all features enabled is a little under a megabyte
dynamically linked on x86. To create a smaller busybox, configure it with
fewer features. Individual busybox applets cost anywhere from a few
hundred bytes to tens of kilobytes. Disable unneeded applets to save,
space, using menuconfig.
</p>
<p>The most important busybox configurators are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>make <b>defconfig</b> - Create the maximum "sane" configuration. This
enables almost all features, minus things like debugging options and features
that require changes to the rest of the system to work (such as selinux or
devfs device names). Use this if you want to start from a full-featured
busybox and remove features until it's small enough.</p></li>
<li><p>make <b>allnoconfig</b> - Disable everything. This creates a tiny version
of busybox that doesn't do anything. Start here if you know exactly what
you want and would like to select only those features.</p></li>
<li><p>make <b>menuconfig</b> - Interactively modify a .config file through a
multi-level menu interface. Use this after one of the previous two.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Some other configuration options are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>make <b>oldconfig</b> - Update an old .config file for a newer version
of busybox.</p></li>
<li><p>make <b>allyesconfig</b> - Select absolutely everything. This creates
a statically linked version of busybox full of debug code, with dependencies on
selinux, using devfs names... This makes sure everything compiles. Whether
or not the result would do anything useful is an open question.</p></li>
<li><p>make <b>allbareconfig</b> - Select all applets but disable all sub-features
within each applet. More build coverage testing.</p></li>
<li><p>make <b>randconfig</b> - Create a random configuration for test purposes.</p></li>
</ul>
<p> Menuconfig modifies your .config file through an interactive menu where you can enable or disable
busybox features, and get help about each feature.
<p>
To build a smaller busybox binary, run "make menuconfig" and disable the
features you don't need. (Or run "make allnoconfig" and then use