How to get regular stuff working: Difference between revisions

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m (→‎Basic commands and shell hints: If we're trying to turn Alpine into GNU, we should install the PCI IDs and USB IDs too...)
 
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== Man pages ==


Not all man-pages are in Alpine, but this will get you most of the way there:
== Basic commands and shell hints ==


    '''apk add man man-pages mdocml-apropos less less-doc'''
Alpine comes with busybox by default. Busybox is set up as an endpoint for numerous symlinks that substitute various utilities. Though busybox is not that bad, the busybox replacement commands may still be missing some functionality.
    '''export PAGER=less'''


The above only provides ''core'' man pages. Other packages typically don't include their own man pages (nor other documentation). Rather, they provide an associated package that carries such stuff. For example:
To replace the symlinks to busybox, install:


    $ '''apk add curl'''
* Shell utilities (things like grep, [[awk]], ls are all busybox symlinks)
    $ '''man curl'''
: {{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|util-linux}} {{pkg|pciutils}} {{pkg|hwdata-pci}} {{pkg|usbutils}} {{pkg|hwdata-usb}} {{pkg|coreutils}} {{pkg|binutils}} {{pkg|findutils}} {{pkg|grep}} {{pkg|iproute2}}}}
    man: No entry for curl in the manual.
    $ '''apropos curl | wc -l'''
    0    <span style="color: green;">''After adding curl, there are no man pages''</span>
    $ '''apk add curl-doc'''
    (1/1) Installing curl-doc (7.52.1-r2)
    Executing mdocml-apropos-1.13.3-r6.trigger
    OK: 60 MiB in 31 packages
    $ '''apropos curl | wc -l'''
    366  <span style="color: green;">''Now, with curl-doc installed, there's a boatload of pages!''</span>
 
'''NOTE:''' Not all packages separate out their documentation, but it is the ''Alpine Way'' (e.g. small footprint). Some packages don't provide any installable documentation at all, neither within themselves nor an associated doc packages. Further, appending "-doc" is merely a convention. In fact, the core man documentations are in man-pages (as in the ''apk add ...'' command, above). To find the right documentation package, try something like:
 
    $ '''apk search gcc | grep ^gcc'''
    gcc-objc-5.3.0-r0
    gcc-gnat-5.3.0-r0
    gcc-5.3.0-r0
    gcc-java-5.3.0-r0
    gcc-doc-5.3.0-r0    <span style="color: green;">''Here it is!''</span>
 
'''FINALLY:''' If you're wondering why I've added ''less'' (and ''less-doc''), it's because ''man'' doesn't work correctly with ''more'' (the default pager). Don't fret too much about bloating up Alpine, though - adding man pages has a bigger footprint than less (''"less is more than man"???'')
 
== Operational hints ==
 
==== Shell @ commandline ====
 
Alpine comes with busybox by default.  Busybox is an endpoint for numerous symlinks for various utilities. Though busybox is not that bad, the commands are impaired in functionality.
 
* Funny characters at the console
Edit the file at {{Path|/etc/rc.conf}} and change line 92 to:
  unicode="YES"


* Bash
* Bash
It is easy enough to have bash installed, but this does not mean the symlinks to busybox are gone.
It's also easy enough to install bash itself:   
 
: {{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|bash}} {{pkg|bash-completion}}}}
Install bash with:   
and optionally, change the login shell with '''{{ic|chsh}}'''.
  apk add bash bash-doc bash-completion
 
* Shell utilities (things like grep, [[awk]], ls are all busybox symlinks)
  apk add util-linux pciutils usbutils coreutils binutils findutils grep
 
* /etc/{shadow,group} manipulation requires
  apk add shadow


==== Disk Management ====  
== Disk Management ==


Disk management is soo much easier with udisks or udisks2
Managing (removable) disk is much easier with udisks


Installation     
Installation     


  apk add udisks2 udisks2-doc
{{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|udisks2}}}}


See the mounted disks
To see the mounted disks


  udisksctl status
{{Cmd|udisksctl status}}


== Compiling : a few notes and a reminder  ==
== Compiling : a few notes and a reminder  ==


Compiling in Alpine may be more challenging because it uses [http://www.musl-libc.org/ musl-libc] instead of glibc. Please review [http://wiki.musl-libc.org/wiki/Functional_differences_from_glibc 'The functional differences with glibc' ] if you think of porting packages or just for the sake of knowing, of course.
Compiling in Alpine may be more challenging because it uses [https://musl.libc.org/ musl-libc] instead of glibc. Please review the [https://wiki.musl-libc.org/functional-differences-from-glibc.html 'functional differences with glibc'] if you think of porting packages or just for the sake of knowing, of course.


Alpine offers the regular compiler stuff like gcc and cmake ... possible others
Alpine offers the regular compiler stuff like gcc and cmake ... possible others


==== (unvalidated) apk packages to install so one can start building software ====
==== (unvalidated) apk packages to install so one can start building software ====
  apk add build-base gcc abuild binutils binutils-doc gcc-doc
{{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|build-base}} {{pkg|abuild}}}}


==== a complete install for cmake looks like ====
==== a complete install for cmake looks like ====


  apk add cmake cmake-doc extra-cmake-modules extra-cmake-modules-doc
{{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|cmake}} {{pkg|extra-cmake-modules}}}}


==== ccache is also available ====
==== ccache is also available ====


  apk add ccache ccache-doc
{{Cmd|apk add {{pkg|ccache}}}}


[[Category:Installation]]
[[Category:Installation]]

Latest revision as of 13:59, 27 December 2023

Basic commands and shell hints

Alpine comes with busybox by default. Busybox is set up as an endpoint for numerous symlinks that substitute various utilities. Though busybox is not that bad, the busybox replacement commands may still be missing some functionality.

To replace the symlinks to busybox, install:

  • Shell utilities (things like grep, awk, ls are all busybox symlinks)

apk add util-linux pciutils hwdata-pci usbutils hwdata-usb coreutils binutils findutils grep iproute2

  • Bash

It's also easy enough to install bash itself:

apk add bash bash-completion

and optionally, change the login shell with chsh.

Disk Management

Managing (removable) disk is much easier with udisks

Installation

apk add udisks2

To see the mounted disks

udisksctl status

Compiling : a few notes and a reminder

Compiling in Alpine may be more challenging because it uses musl-libc instead of glibc. Please review the 'functional differences with glibc' if you think of porting packages or just for the sake of knowing, of course.

Alpine offers the regular compiler stuff like gcc and cmake ... possible others

(unvalidated) apk packages to install so one can start building software

apk add build-base abuild

a complete install for cmake looks like

apk add cmake extra-cmake-modules

ccache is also available

apk add ccache