Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

MochiMoppel · Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 1946 Location: Japan

The file /bin/busybox contains dozens of utilities (busybox calls them applets) which can all be executed in one way or another, no matter if their more powerful GNU cousins are installed or not.

If no GNU equivalents exist, busybox applets are normally installed as symlink, e.g. /usr/bin/beep => /bin/busybox.

If GNU equivalents exist, busybox symlinked applets may still exist but with a -BB-NOTUSED suffix, making it impossible to invoke the busybox applet by just using its original name.

A few applets have equivalents in bash shell builtins or keywords (e.g. the echo command). Bash will always use its builtin utilities instead of using busybox or GNU applets (unless builtins are deactivated, but there is hardly a good reason to do that). Still busybox links are usually provided as well (e.g. /bin/echo => /bin/busybox) and the user *can* use them if he really needs to.

Above 3 possibilities should account for all applets compiled into busybox and the command "type -a appletname" should find at least one executable location for each applet. If not - and this is the reason why I created the script - the applet can not be invoked merely by its name. The command "which appletname" will produce no result and it appears as if the applet is not installed. I experienced this with the very useful strings utility. Only when checking the busybox list of all included applets I realized that it's there.

I wanted to know if more such "stealth utilities" exist.
The script lists all busybox applet names in the 2nd column and indicates in the 1st column if installed as

builtin bash builtin
keyword bash keyword
bb symlink to busybox
gnu GNU utility
script script, usually a wrapper for either bb or gnu
BBNU symlink to busybox with -BB-NOTUSED suffix
FULL GNU utility or symlink to GNU utility with -FULL suffix
----- "stealth" applet which can't be invoked merely by its name

Script execution takes a few second and outputs to leafpad. Be patient Wink

tallboy · Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 1572 Location: Drøbak, Norway

Thank you for the script, MochiMoppel, it will be very useful.
Hmm, is applet a word that BB have used in earlier versions too, or is it just list? It seems list is not in the earlier version. If I want a list of applets, I only use the command busybox, whitout options. But that doesn't work in the script. I can search for bb-notused in pFind, but the result does not include builtins.

oldaolgeezer · Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 59

MochiMoppel, I also thank you for the interesting script.

MochiMoppel's script "Listing all used/unused Busybox applets"
shows in my xenial-7.5 (32 bit) that the "strings" command is only available
via busybox as:
busybox strings foo.txt

(not as: strings foo.txt )

So, my question is why are some puppy commands available via busybox but not linked from /usr/bin ?

Thanks for any comments.

rufwoof · Joined: 24 Feb 2014 Posts: 3677

musher0 · Posted: Mon 25 Feb 2019, 14:52 Post subject:

MochiMoppei,

With all due respect, IMO, that is another waste of your formidable talent.
But it's yours to waste, not mine.

As for me, when I need this type of information, I type the following in terminal:

fabrice_035 · Joined: 28 Apr 2014 Posts: 656 Location: Bretagne / France

Hello,

@musher0

some1 · Joined: 17 Jan 2013 Posts: 105

@fabrice_035:
Nothing to do with the awk-version,
just more crap and mind-pollution from
Musher0.Wasting everybodys time.

@Musher0: Please stop posting in threads in the Programming Section,
which you have not created.

some1 · Joined: 17 Jan 2013 Posts: 105

@MochiMoppel: Nice. Try LANG=C - gave me 30%.

MochiMoppel · Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 1946 Location: Japan

musher0 · Posted: Tue 26 Feb 2019, 04:25 Post subject:

perdido · Posted: Tue 26 Feb 2019, 11:53 Post subject:

MochiMoppel · Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 1946 Location: Japan

I have updated my script (see first post for new code and explanation)

It now lists applet scripts and applet names suffixed with -FULL and/or -BB-NOTUSED.
When an applet is listed multiple times, the first entry in the list is the one that will be executed when invoked with just the applet name.

For example the screenshot shows that a user who enters just ps into a terminal will start a script (= first item in the list). A GNU utility exists but can only be directly executed by entering ps-FULL. Users who need to directly start the busybox applet would have to enter busybox ps. The file /bin/ps-BB-NOTUSED is linked to busybox but, as all -BB-NOTUSED symlinks, is not valid and will cause busybox to trigger an error when executed.

Since some applet names appear more than once I find the list easier to read with blank lines before each new applet name. Removing the awk statement will prevent blank line creation.