I really appreciate Toybox for its clean codebase and permissive license, hopefully it reaches feature parity with Busybox in the future. Version 0.8.13 is long overdue.
Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
11–20 of 60 posts
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#12But what IS it?
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#13But what IS it?
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#14But what IS it?
Toybox is a clone of Busybox with a less restrictive license.
Toybox is used on Android to implement a number of POSIX.2 utilities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BusyBox#Controversy_over_Toybo...
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#15But what IS it?
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
How would you improve the description in the readme file?
The toybox build produces a multicall binary, a "swiss-army-knife" program
that acts differently depending on the name it was called by (cp, mv, cat...).
Installing toybox adds symlinks for each command name to the $PATH.Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#16But what IS it?
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
> I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?).
I am now very curious how you arrived at this conclusion. Did you make use of any LLM? If so, which model and what prompt did you use?
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
How would you improve the description in the readme file? The toybox build produces a multicall binary, a "swiss-army-knife" program that acts differently depending on the name it was called by (cp, mv, cat...). Installing toybox adds symlinks for each command name to the $PATH.
That's a good description but it's odd to put it after ~60 lines of instruction on downloading and building the program. Users may want to know what it is first.
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
How would you improve the description in the readme file? The toybox build produces a multicall binary, a "swiss-army-knife" program that acts differently depending on the name it was called by (cp, mv, cat...). Installing toybox adds symlinks for each command name to the $PATH.
That's a good description but it's odd to put it after ~60 lines of instruction on downloading and building the program. Users may want to know what it is first.
Addressing the obvious elephant in the room (busybox) is also buried:
> I left busybox due to an argument over GPLv3.
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
How would you improve the description in the readme file? The toybox build produces a multicall binary, a "swiss-army-knife" program that acts differently depending on the name it was called by (cp, mv, cat...). Installing toybox adds symlinks for each command name to the $PATH.
That's pretty good. I'd _consider_ flipping it around so the familiar part comes first?
Perhaps, something like:
«Toybox provides a set of utilities like cp, mv, cat, ..., which are each just links to a single binary (a "multicall binary").
In this way `toybox` is like a Swiss Army knife -- several tools combined into one.
Installing toybox adds a symlink for each [of the x] command name[s] to the $PATH.»
The last sentence might be better if it said how many symlinks are added?
Aside, Busybox uses the term "Swiss Army Knife" in their description. Using the same term like that, which isn't an inherent term, might open you up to a 'passing off' claim. Multi-tool, or EDC, may work?
Re: Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think... it builds a busybox system based on desired commands (similar to a dockerfile, but using a REPL?). I have to admit that the README is next to useless.
How would you improve the description in the readme file? The toybox build produces a multicall binary, a "swiss-army-knife" program that acts differently depending on the name it was called by (cp, mv, cat...). Installing toybox adds symlinks for each command name to the $PATH.
The app provides various subcommands, which can also be invoked based on its name. Symlinks are used to expose the subcommands as regular app names. My rewording/simplification of the description