Configuring a better busybox

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

works automagically. Yay.

root@kindle:bin> ./busybox man test

man: no manual entry for 'test'

Happy days

It is supposed to work that way, without any helper scripts.
That is how you access the busybox functions without links.

PS: It will work that way before you mount /proc, that is how you have to use it from initramfs to do the mounting of /proc.

But does it work with the helper scripts.

export PATH=/mnt/us/bin:$PATH
man test

You may have to strace that to see that it is reading your helper script and the new busybox.

[twobob]

there is no man in the other busybox.
that's why I used it for the test.

Will do the strace now

[twobob]

root@kindle:sbin> \
export PATH=\
/mnt/us/usr/local/bin:/mnt/us/usr/bin:/mnt/us/bin:/mnt/us/usr/sbin:/mnt/us/sbin:\
\
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:\
\
/mnt/us/home/root

root@kindle:sbin> man test
man: no manual entry for 'test'

Is a result. simple : )

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

root@kindle:sbin> man test
man: no manual entry for 'test'

Is a result. simple : )

Yup, the helper scripts are working as a substitute for a link file on FAT.

[twobob]

but not so for the things it already has function for...


root@kindle:bin> ./grep
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-02 18:22:56 BST) multi-call binary.


root@kindle:bin> grep
BusyBox v1.7.2 (2011-09-08 21:57:14 PDT) multi-call binary


Hmm... interesting.


root@kindle:bin> echo $PATH
/mnt/us/usr/local/bin:/mnt/us/usr/bin:/mnt/us/bin:/mnt/us/usr/sbin:/mnt/us/sbin:\
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/mnt/us/home/root

Hmm... erm.. hmm..


root@kindle:bin> find / -name grep
/mnt/us/bin/grep
/bin/grep

[twobob]

Is there a "prefer real binaries over scripts" type thing going on?

confused.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

Is there a "prefer real binaries over scripts" type thing going on?

confused.

That is an effect of how the K3's original Busybox was configured.
Previously reported by geekmaster.

What is happening, is the command line processor (ash) **IS** busybox, and the built-in is being detected / selected **before** any path search is made.
Hmm...
There might be a "perfer built-ins" config option in the original Busybox build that did that.

You can delete the sym-link to the original Busybox to fix that, if willing to alter the system files.

Note:
When the /mnt/us part of the file tree is displayed to the user in "storage mode" - I don't think that the main system can access it.

Note 2:
The above was one of the reasons behind my wanting to try the various shared file system on the K3 -
So that "user storage" could be both exported and used internally, concurrently, rather than switched between internal and external use.

[twobob]

okay I think I get you.
It swallows up the bash commands before they get processed.

Hmm.. Sounds like an horrific alias hack could fix that.
BUT... that probably really would complicate matters.

and on top of that I'm fairly sure the alias list exists in a shared memory space with the bash history and possibly a few other bits, meaning if I strew it with 90 aliases things may start to die in strange ways...

There must be a better solution... thinking now...

[twobob]

solution found

root@kindle:bin> busybox grep
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-02 18:22:56 BST) multi-call binary.

simply prefix with the word busybox.

boom. That's got to be easy enough

now to convince *all* calls to be prefixed by that - hmm...

binfrmt_misc hack perhaps.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

okay I think I get you.
It swallows up the bash commands before they get processed.

I do not think bash is installed on the K3.
Unless you happen to be running a copy of bash that you installed.

ash is the command processor provided by Busybox and a considerable different feature set.

But yes, that is what happens (the recognized command never "gets out" of the command line scanner)
I.E: Like bash selects built-ins over externals, ash selects busybox built-ins over externals (when optioned the way the K3 one is).

[twobob]

hmm, this is true but JUST MAYBE I can convince it otherwise with some aliases, it's worth a pop. I'll give it a go now.

touch /mnt/us/.alias;
cd /mnt/us/bin;
for filename in * ; do echo "alias "${filename}"='busybox "${filename}"'" >> /mnt/us/.alias; done;
cd /mnt/us/sbin;
for filename in * ; do echo "alias "${filename}"='busybox "${filename}"'" >> /mnt/us/.alias; done;

For a quickie test perhaps...

Spoiler:

alias addgroup='busybox addgroup'
alias adduser='busybox adduser'
alias ash='busybox ash'
alias base64='busybox base64'
alias bash='busybox bash'
alias cat='busybox cat'
alias catv='busybox catv'
alias chattr='busybox chattr'
alias chgrp='busybox chgrp'
alias chmod='busybox chmod'
alias chown='busybox chown'
alias cp='busybox cp'
alias cpio='busybox cpio'
alias date='busybox date'
alias dd='busybox dd'
alias delgroup='busybox delgroup'
alias deluser='busybox deluser'
alias df='busybox df'
alias dmesg='busybox dmesg'
alias dnsdomainname='busybox dnsdomainname'
alias dumpkmap='busybox dumpkmap'
alias echo='busybox echo'
alias ed='busybox ed'
alias egrep='busybox egrep'
alias false='busybox false'
alias fdflush='busybox fdflush'
alias fgrep='busybox fgrep'
alias fsync='busybox fsync'
alias getopt='busybox getopt'
alias grep='busybox grep'
alias gunzip='busybox gunzip'
alias gzip='busybox gzip'
alias hostname='busybox hostname'
alias ip='busybox ip'
alias ipaddr='busybox ipaddr'
alias iplink='busybox iplink'
alias iproute='busybox iproute'
alias iprule='busybox iprule'
alias iptunnel='busybox iptunnel'
alias kill='busybox kill'
alias linux32='busybox linux32'
alias linux64='busybox linux64'
alias ln='busybox ln'
alias login='busybox login'
alias ls='busybox ls'
alias lsattr='busybox lsattr'
alias lzop='busybox lzop'
alias makemime='busybox makemime'
alias mkdir='busybox mkdir'
alias mknod='busybox mknod'
alias mktemp='busybox mktemp'
alias more='busybox more'
alias mount='busybox mount'
alias mountpoint='busybox mountpoint'
alias mt='busybox mt'
alias mv='busybox mv'
alias netstat='busybox netstat'
alias nice='busybox nice'
alias pidof='busybox pidof'
alias ping='busybox ping'
alias pipe_progress='busybox pipe_progress'
alias printenv='busybox printenv'
alias ps='busybox ps'
alias pwd='busybox pwd'
alias rm='busybox rm'
alias rmdir='busybox rmdir'
alias rpm='busybox rpm'
alias run-parts='busybox run-parts'
alias sed='busybox sed'
alias setarch='busybox setarch'
alias setserial='busybox setserial'
alias sh='busybox sh'
alias sleep='busybox sleep'
alias stat='busybox stat'
alias stty='busybox stty'
alias su='busybox su'
alias sync='busybox sync'
alias tar='busybox tar'
alias touch='busybox touch'
alias true='busybox true'
alias umount='busybox umount'
alias uname='busybox uname'
alias uncompress='busybox uncompress'
alias usleep='busybox usleep'
alias vi='busybox vi'
alias watch='busybox watch'
alias zcat='busybox zcat'
alias adjtimex='busybox adjtimex'
alias blkid='busybox blkid'
alias devmem='busybox devmem'
alias fdisk='busybox fdisk'
alias freeramdisk='busybox freeramdisk'
alias fsck='busybox fsck'
alias getty='busybox getty'
alias hwclock='busybox hwclock'
alias ifconfig='busybox ifconfig'
alias ifdown='busybox ifdown'
alias ifup='busybox ifup'
alias klogd='busybox klogd'
alias loadkmap='busybox loadkmap'
alias logread='busybox logread'
alias losetup='busybox losetup'
alias makedevs='busybox makedevs'
alias man='busybox man'
alias mkdosfs='busybox mkdosfs'
alias mke2fs='busybox mke2fs'
alias output='busybox output'
alias pivot_root='busybox pivot_root'
alias route='busybox route'
alias start-stop-daemon='busybox start-stop-daemon'
alias switch_root='busybox switch_root'
alias syslogd='busybox syslogd'
alias tune2fs='busybox tune2fs'
alias udhcpc='busybox udhcpc'

THIS LIST IS INCOMPLETE AND MADE IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS!!!
it needs to be checked and amended. you have been warned.

[twobob]

root@kindle:root> . /mnt/us/aliases
root@kindle:root> grep
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-02 18:22:56 BST) multi-call binary.

boom

I have no idea why I keep saying that.
must go get more tea


[root@kindle root]# bash --help
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-02 18:22:56 BST) multi-call binary.

Usage: bash [-/+OPTIONS] [-/+o OPT]... [-c 'SCRIPT' [ARG0 [ARGS]] / FILE [ARGS]]

Unix shell interpreter

[twobob]

well. that was easy


root@kindle:root> exit
Connection to k closed.
me@dev ~ $ ssh root@k

#################################################
# N O T I C E * N O T I C E * N O T I C E #
#################################################
Rootfs is mounted read-only. Invoke mntroot rw to
switch back to a writable rootfs.
#################################################
[root@kindle root]# busybox
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-02 18:22:56 BST) multi-call binary.
Copyright (C) 1998-2011 Erik Andersen, Rob Landley, Denys Vlasenko
and others. Licensed under GPLv2.
See source distribution for full notice.

Usage: busybox [function] [arguments]...
or: busybox --list[-full]
or: busybox --install [-s] [DIR]
or: function [arguments]...
blah blah

I just source ./mnt/us/.alias at the end of my .alias in /home/root
(Future reader: Don't look you don't have one, I added it /etc/passwd - read the docs)

and stick PATH=/mnt/us/usr/local/bin:/mnt/us/usr/bin:/mnt/us/bin:/mnt/us/usr/sbin:/mnt/us/sbin:\
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/mnt/us/home/root

in my /home/root/.bashrc (err you don't have one of them either)

and my myts .bashrc simply now contains . /home/root/.bashrc - bliss

Guess we could strap something similar together for a sketchy runtime or just replace the busybox outright one day when it is tested into the ground.

Anyways for now I have a fully working busybox 1.20.blah with all the relevant calls ported BEFORE the shell gets a chance to steal them.

Happy days. what's next? : )

[twobob]

um... I forgot to include inetd support. duh.

recompiled it now with the new support in.

EDIT: As penance I added a readme and the .alias file for ease of use.

uploaded new zip (tar gz was too big)


[root@kindle bin]# inetd --help

BusyBox v1.20.2 (2012-09-03 02:06:04 BST) multi-call binary.

Usage: inetd [-fe] [-q N] [-R N] [CONFFILE]

Listen for network connections and launch programs

-f Run in foreground
-e Log to stderr
-q N Socket listen queue (default: 128)
-R N Pause services after N connects/min
(default: 0 - disabled)

[knc1]

I think you are now months ahead of anyone making use of all the new features available.

I recall reading that several people where going to try to mount Windows shares, but don't recall anyone reporting success/fail.

Now with inetd and a larger selection of built-in servers ...

To enable a service:
Add a line to the iptables rules to "accept" incoming connections on <some> port.
Add a line to the inetd that starts a service on that <some> port when a connection is made.

Sorry, still haven't read the list of features in the new Busybox -
But I expect there is at least ftpd, telnetd, httpd, ...

Repeat the above for each service desired to start on demand.

Hmm...
I guess one (or more) of our "launcher" authors could put an enable/disable toggle for each of the services (I.E: each of the firewall rules) in their end-user GUI.

As twobob wrote a few weeks ago, he and I are just posting what we find as we try to learn how to build any-app for a K3 ;
We don't have the slightest clue if, when or how end-users might make use of this stuff.
N.O.J.

Well, almost. We do have an agenda here. There are a few specific things we want to have for our own uses. But most of this stuff is just what falls off the end of the truck while racing around the learning curve(s).