BusyBox: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:17, 12 August 2025

Alpine Linux is built around musl libc and busybox. To minimize footprint, Alpine Linux comes with BusyBox by default. BusyBox provides replacements for most of the utilities usually found in GNU coreutils, util-linux, etc. Built-in utility programs called as applets share code for many common operations. To list the applets that have been compiled into BusyBox binary, issue the command with no argument as follows: $ busybox

To view options supported by a specific BusyBox applet, say grep, issue the command $ busybox grep -h

Ash shell

Alpine Linux uses Busybox Ash shell for its default shell.

vi

Busybox uses tiny vi, a small 'vi' clone. Refer Busybox vi tutorial for an excellent introduction.

udhcpc

udhcpc is the default DHCP client that comes inbuilt with Busybox.

Cron

Busybox crond is the default cron implementation in Alpine Linux.

acpid

Alpine Linux comes inbuilt with a basic version of acpid as part of BusyBox.

Replacing BusyBox utilities

BusyBox is set up as an endpoint for numerous symlinks that substitute various utilities.The utilities in BusyBox generally have fewer options than their full-featured GNU counterparts. If you find certain utilities in busybox lacking in features or options, it is easy to replace respective endpoints by their equivalent full-featured utilities.

Shutdown commands

The busybox command equivalent for traditional GNU/Linux systems shutdown commands are as follows:

# reboot # ⇔ shutdown now -r # halt # ⇔ shutdown now -H # poweroff # ⇔ shutdown now -P

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Alpine Linux is built around musl libc and [https://www.busybox.net/ busybox]. BusyBox provides replacements for most of the utilities usually found in GNU coreutils, util-linux, etc. Built-in utility programs called as applets share code for many common operations. Invoking BusyBox with no argument lists the applets that have been compiled into BusyBox binary.
+Alpine Linux is built around musl libc and [https://www.busybox.net/ busybox]. To minimize footprint, Alpine Linux comes with BusyBox by default. BusyBox provides replacements for most of the utilities usually found in GNU coreutils, util-linux, etc. Built-in utility programs called as applets share code for many common operations. To list the applets that have been compiled into BusyBox binary, issue the command with no argument as follows: {{ic|$ busybox}}
-Refer [https://busybox.net/downloads/BusyBox.html BusyBox Manual] for options supported by BusyBox.
+To view options supported by a specific BusyBox applet, say {{ic|grep}}, issue the command {{ic|$ busybox grep -h}}
 == Ash shell ==
-Alpine Linux uses Busybox Ash for its default shell. To change the default shell to other shells like {{Pkg|bash}}, {{Pkg|zsh}}, {{Pkg|fish}} etc..refer [[Change default shell|change default shell]].
+Alpine Linux uses Busybox [[Shell_management#Ash_shell|Ash shell]] for its default shell.
-=== Aliases ===
+== vi ==
-When using Ash shell, one can’t set aliases in the {{Path|~/.profile}}, but environment variables can be set in it. In order to use aliases with Busybox Ash, you must set the ENV environment variable to refer the aliases file.
+Busybox uses [https://git.busybox.net/busybox/plain/editors/vi.c tiny vi], a small 'vi' clone. Refer [http://k.japko.eu/busybox-vi-tutorial.html Busybox vi tutorial] for an excellent introduction.
-First create the file {{Path|/etc/profile.d/profile.sh}} as follows:
+== udhcpc ==
-{{Cat|/etc/profile.d/profile.sh|if [ -f "$HOME/.config/ash/profile" ]; then
-	. "$HOME/.config/ash/profile"
-fi
-}}
-Next create the file {{path|~/.config/ash/profile}} as follows:
-{{Cat|~/.config/ash/profile|export ENV{{=}}"$HOME/.config/ash/ashrc"
-}}
-Now aliases can be added in the file {{Path|~/.config/ash/ashrc}}:
-{{Cat|~/.config/ash/ashrc|su{{=}}"doas -s"
+[[udhcpc]] is the default DHCP client that comes inbuilt with  Busybox.
-}}
-== Replacing BusyBox Utilities==
+== Cron ==
+[[Cron#Busybox_crond|Busybox crond]] is the default cron implementation in Alpine Linux.
+== acpid ==
+Alpine Linux comes inbuilt with a basic version of [[Power_management#Busybox acpid|acpid]] as part of BusyBox.
+== Replacing BusyBox utilities==
 {{Main|How to get regular stuff working}}
-The utilities in BusyBox generally have fewer options than their full-featured GNU counterparts. If you find certain utilities in busybox lacking in features or options, it is easy to [[How to get regular stuff working|replace]] respective endpoints by their equivalent full-featured utilities.
+BusyBox is set up as an endpoint for numerous symlinks that substitute various utilities.The utilities in BusyBox generally have fewer options than their full-featured GNU counterparts. If you find certain utilities in busybox lacking in features or options, it is easy to [[How to get regular stuff working|replace]] respective endpoints by their equivalent full-featured utilities.
+== Shutdown commands ==
+The busybox command equivalent for traditional GNU/Linux systems shutdown commands are as follows:{{Cmd|<nowiki># reboot   # ⇔ shutdown now -r
+# halt     # ⇔ shutdown now -H
+# poweroff # ⇔ shutdown now -P</nowiki>}}
+== See also ==
-== See Also ==
 * [https://www.busybox.net/ Official website]
 * [https://busybox.net/downloads/BusyBox.html Official BusyBox Manual]
+* [http://k.japko.eu/busybox-vi-tutorial.html Busybox vi tutorial]
 [[Category:System Administration]]