xref: /src/distrib/utils/README

From: "Gordon W. Ross" <gwr>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 95 16:37:39 EDT
Subject: New ramdisk, tiny shell, etc.
[ edited since the original mail ]

As part of my efforts to build a RAM-disk root kernel for the
sun3 port, I've developed some things that others may want:

New RAM-disk: [ see sys/dev/ramdisk.c ]

New "small/tiny" tools, to replace some of the larger
programs that one usually wants on a ramdisk root:

ssh: (small shell)
  * Consumes only about 8K of memory on an m68k!
    (saves about 100K in the ramdisk...)
  * Can run programs, possibly with I/O redirection
  * Just enough to let you run the programs needed
    while partitioning and copying miniroot to swap.

tls: (tiny ls)
  * Consumes only about 4K of memory on an m68k!
    (saves about 10K in the ramdisk...)
  * Long format only, nothing fancy.

Also, in the new "src/distrib/utils" area, I've made build
directories for some programs that build smaller versions,
usually by adding special CFLAGS

init_s:  (built with -DLETS_GET_SMALL)
  * Forces single-user mode
  * Eliminates unnecessary code

libhack:   small implementation of some libc functions
  * Needs only /etc/passwd (not pwd.db, spwd.db)
  * Reduces size of an m68k crunched binary by about 64K

x_dd:  built with -DNO_CONV (no conv=* options)

x_ifconfig:  supports inet only

The x_ prefix on the above is to make the names unique so
crunchgen will not confuse them with the real sources.