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authorRob Landley <rob@landley.net>2006-05-11 17:21:13 +0000
committerRob Landley <rob@landley.net>2006-05-11 17:21:13 +0000
commitac4c92da3b5305c244b5c48692c5542db4b6946c (patch)
treee342a83e11d8ed79e4c4f5a9547b72717af1bbda /docs
parent9b70093714ec7cbf0cb5b87e9f4ce719dcc93c32 (diff)
downloadbusybox-ac4c92da3b5305c244b5c48692c5542db4b6946c.tar.gz
More about configuring busybox.
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+++ b/docs/busybox.net/FAQ.html
@@ -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