GNU core utilities

2023-03-27T19:22:16Z

Alpiaxl:

''From [https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/ gnu.org]:''

''The GNU Core Utilities (often called {{Pkg|coreutils}}) are the basic file, shell and text manipulation utilities of the GNU operating system. These are the core utilities which are expected to exist on every operating system.''

 

The {{Pkg|coreutils}} is used in most Linux distributions by default (which is why Linux is often refered to as GNU/linux or GNU+Linux), Alpine uses [https://www.busybox.net/ Busybox] in place of the '''coreutils''' for a more lightweight, minimalist and secure experience but the '''coreutils''' is still available on AlpineLinux if you wish to use it.

 

{{Expand}}

===== coreutils libc and utmps in alpine =====

Some programs like wall(1) depend on a libc feature named "utmp", that cannot be implemented
in libc securely. For this reason, musl (the libc that Alpine uses) does not implement utmp. Instead, it provides stubs that do nothing.

That is why programs that use utmp - such as wall, who or w - output nothing but still exit successfully. This is expected, a feature, and cannot be fixed easily.

 

Some have a nice solution. For example, a {{Pkg|utmps}} login monitor:

{{Cmd|apk add coreutils utmps}}

And then start the helper script which sets up services (it also works without the package "coreutils"):

{{Cmd|setup-utmp}}

{{Note|Take into consideration that there's an alternative to {{Pkg|coreutils}} named {{Pkg|ubase}} (only available in edge) that provides better functionality than the built-in busybox, but less than what coreutils offers}}

GNU core utilities

2023-03-27T19:19:31Z

Alpiaxl: /* coreutils libc and utmps in alpine */

''From [https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/ gnu.org]:''

''The GNU Core Utilities (often called {{Pkg|coreutils}}) are the basic file, shell and text manipulation utilities of the GNU operating system. These are the core utilities which are expected to exist on every operating system.''

 

The {{Pkg|coreutils}} is used in most Linux distributions by default (which is why Linux is often refered to as GNU/linux or GNU+Linux), Alpine uses [https://www.busybox.net/ Busybox] in place of the '''coreutils''' for a more lightweight, minimalist and secure experience but the '''coreutils''' is still available on AlpineLinux if you wish to use it.

 

{{Expand}}

===== coreutils libc and utmps in alpine =====

Some programs like wall(1) depend on a libc feature named "utmp", that cannot be implemented
in libc securely. For this reason, musl (the libc that Alpine uses) does not implement utmp. Instead, it provides stubs that do nothing.

That is why programs that use utmp - such as wall, who or w - output nothing but still exit successfully. This is expected, a feature, and cannot be fixed easily.

 

Some have a nice solution. For example, a {{Pkg|utmps}} login monitor:

{{Cmd|apk add coreutils utmps}}

And then start the helper script which sets up services (it also works without the package "coreutils"):

{{Cmd| setup-utmp}}

{{Note|Take into consideration that there's an alternative to {{Pkg|coreutils}} named {{Pkg|ubase}} (only available in edge) that provides better functionality than the built-in busybox, but less than what coreutils offers}}

Alpine Linux - User contributions [en]

GNU core utilities

GNU core utilities