View source for BusyBox

The [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DeveloperWiki:Core-Repository base]2[http://www.archlinux.org/packages/community/x86_64/busybox/ busybox] project aims to offer drop-in replacements for various central parts of the Arch linux base system.

'''IMPORTANT: Do not expect 100% drop-in replacement and compatibility. Certain utilities may not exist and for those that do, there may be missing options. One purpose of this Wiki is to document missing features and the problems they cause (in order to device work-arounds). Make sure that the replacement(s) that you install fill your needs before proceeding.'''

Busybox commands are simply symlinks to the busybox binary and are thus extremely light weight. For a low footprint system, this could be quite valuable.

==gnu2busybox-coreutils==

This [https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=48187 package] offers a nearly pain-free drop-in replacement of the GNU coreutils. Some commands lack options present in the corresponding coreutils binaries (current problems: Yaourt and readline).

Gain from replacing coreutils with busybox: GNU [http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/coreutils/ coreutils]: 13.1 MB installed, symlinks to busybox: approximately 0.

'''Missing utilities:'''

/bin
     dir dircolors shred vdir

/usr/bin 
     chcon csplit factor fmt join link nl nproc paste pinky pr ptx runcon sha224sum sha256sum sha384sum sha512sum shuf
     stdbuf timeout truncate tsort unlink users

'''Missing features that cause problems:'''

      readlink: missing option [-e, -m, -q or -s] causes problems for Yaourt
     

==gnu2busybox-findutils==

This [https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=48353 package] offers functionality corresponding to the binaries found in GNU [http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/findutils/ findutils].

Gain from replacing findutils with busybox: GNU findutils: 1.7 MB installed, symlinks to busybox: approximately 0.

'''Missing utilities:'''

/usr/bin
     oldfind

'''Missing features that cause problems:'''
     

==gnu2busybox-diffutils==

This [https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=48363 package] offers functionality corresponding to the binaries found in GNU [http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/diffutils/ diffutils].

Gain from replacing diffutils with busybox: GNU diffutils: 1.4 MB installed, symlinks to busybox: approximately 0.

'''Missing utilities:'''

/usr/bin
     diff3 sdiff

'''Missing features that cause problems:'''
     

==FUTURE PLANS==

* Busybox-init: a very simple (only 1 runlevel) init system, ash init scripts
* Meta-package and/or group to easily convert an Arch base system to a busybox base system.