2 # For a description of the syntax of this configuration file,
3 # see scripts/kbuild/config-language.txt.
6 menu "Linux System Utilities"
13 dmesg is used to examine or control the kernel ring buffer. When the
14 Linux kernel prints messages to the system log, they are stored in
15 the kernel ring buffer. You can use dmesg to print the kernel's ring
16 buffer, clear the kernel ring buffer, change the size of the kernel
17 ring buffer, and change the priority level at which kernel messages
18 are also logged to the system console. Enable this option if you
19 wish to enable the 'dmesg' utility.
25 fbset is used to show or change the settings of a Linux frame buffer
26 device. The frame buffer device provides a simple and unique
27 interface to access a graphic display. Enable this option if you wish
28 to enable the 'fbset' utility.
31 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FBSET_FANCY
32 bool " Turn on extra fbset options"
34 depends on CONFIG_FBSET
36 This option enables extended fbset options, allowing one to set the
37 framebuffer size, color depth, etc. interface to access a graphic
38 display. Enable this option if you wish to enable extended fbset
41 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FBSET_READMODE
42 bool " Turn on fbset readmode support"
44 depends on CONFIG_FBSET
46 This option allows fbset to read the video mode database stored by
47 default as /etc/fb.modes, which can be used to set frame buffer
48 device to pre-defined video modes.
54 Fdflush is only needed when changing media on slightly-broken
55 removable media drives. It is used to make Linux believe that a
56 hardware disk-change switch has been actuated, which causes Linux to
57 forget anything it has cached from the previous media. If you have
58 such a slightly-broken drive, you will need to run fdflush every time
59 you change a disk. Most people have working hardware and can safely
60 say leave this disabled.
62 config CONFIG_FDFORMAT
66 Fdformat is used to low-level format a floppy disk.
73 The fdisk utility is used to divide hard disks into one or more
74 logical disks, which are generally called partitions. This utility
75 can be used to list and edit the set of partitions or BSD style
76 'disk slices' that are defined on a hard drive.
78 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
81 depends on CONFIG_FDISK
83 Enabling this option allows you to create or change a partition table
84 and write those changes out to disk. If you leave this option
85 disabled, you will only be able to view the partition table.
87 config CONFIG_FEATURE_AIX_LABEL
88 bool " Support AIX disklabels"
90 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
92 Enabling this option allows you to create or change AIX disklabels.
93 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
95 config CONFIG_FEATURE_SGI_LABEL
96 bool " Support SGI disklabels"
98 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
100 Enabling this option allows you to create or change SGI disklabels.
101 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
103 config CONFIG_FEATURE_SUN_LABEL
104 bool " Support SUN disklabels"
106 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
108 Enabling this option allows you to create or change SUN disklabels.
109 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
111 config CONFIG_FEATURE_OSF_LABEL
112 bool " Support BSD disklabels"
114 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
116 Enabling this option allows you to create or change BSD disklabels
117 and define and edit BSD disk slices.
119 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_ADVANCED
120 bool " Support expert mode"
122 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
124 Enabling this option allows you to do terribly unsafe things like
125 define arbitrary drive geometry, move the beginning of data in a
126 partition, and similarly evil things. Unless you have a very good
127 reason you would be wise to leave this disabled.
129 config CONFIG_FREERAMDISK
133 Linux allows you to create ramdisks. This utility allows you to
134 delete them and completely free all memory that was used for the
135 ramdisk. For example, if you boot Linux into a ramdisk and later
136 pivot_root, you may want to free the memory that is allocated to the
137 ramdisk. If you have no use for freeing memory from a ramdisk, leave
140 config CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX
144 The minix filesystem is a nice, small, compact, read-write filesystem
145 with little overhead. It is not a journaling filesystem however and
146 can encounted corruption if it is not properly unmounted or if the
147 power goes off in the middle of a write. This utility allows you to
148 check for and attempt to repair any corruption that occurs to a minix
151 config CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
155 The minix filesystem is a nice, small, compact, read-write filesystem
156 with little overhead. If you wish to be able to create minix filesystems
157 this utility will do the job for you.
159 comment "Minix filesystem support"
160 depends on CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX || CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
162 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MINIX2
163 bool " Support Minix fs v2 (fsck_minix/mkfs_minix)"
165 depends on CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX || CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
167 If you wish to be able to create version 2 minix filesystems, enable this.
168 If you enabled 'mkfs_minix' then you almost certainly want to be using the
169 version 2 filesystem support.
175 The getopt utility is used to break up (parse) options in command
176 lines to make it easy to write complex shell scripts that also check
177 for legal (and illegal) options. If you want to write horribly
178 complex shell scripts, or use some horribly complex shell script
179 written by others, this utility may be for you. Most people will
180 wisely leave this disabled.
182 config CONFIG_HEXDUMP
186 The hexdump utility is used to display binary data in a readable
187 way that is comparable to the output from most hex editors.
189 config CONFIG_HWCLOCK
193 The hwclock utility is used to read and set the hardware clock
194 on a system. This is primarily used to set the correct time in
195 the hardware close, so the hardware will keep the correct time
196 when Linux is _not_ running.
198 config CONFIG_FEATURE_HWCLOCK_LONGOPTIONS
199 bool " Support long options (--hctosys,...)"
201 depends on CONFIG_HWCLOCK
203 By default, the hwclock utility only uses short options. If you
204 are overly fond of the long options, such as --hctosys, --utc, etc)
205 then enable this option.
207 config CONFIG_LOSETUP
211 losetup is used to associate or detach a loop device with a regular
212 file or block device, and to query the status of a loop device. This
213 version does not currently support enabling data encryption.
219 The mkswap utility is used to configure a file or disk partition as
220 Linux swap space. This allows Linux to use the entire file or
221 partition as if it were additional RAM, which can greatly increase
222 the capability of low-memory machines. This additional memory is
223 much slower than real RAM, but can be very helpful at preventing your
224 applications being killed by the Linux out of memory (OOM) killer. Once
225 you have created swap space using 'mkswap' you need to enable the swap
226 space using the 'swapon' utility.
232 More is a simple utility which allows you to read text one screen
233 sized page at a time. If you want to read text that is larger than
234 the screen, and you are using anything faster than a 300 baud modem,
235 you will probably find this utility very helpful. If you don't have
236 any need to reading text files, you can leave this disabled.
238 config CONFIG_FEATURE_USE_TERMIOS
239 bool " Use termios to manipulate the screen"
241 depends on CONFIG_MORE
243 This option allows utilities such as 'more' and 'top' to determine
244 the size of the screen. If you leave this disabled, your utilities
245 that display things on the screen with be especially primitive and
246 will be unable to determine the current screen size, and will be
247 unable to move the cursor.
249 comment "Common options for ls and more"
250 depends on CONFIG_LS || CONFIG_MORE
252 config CONFIG_FEATURE_AUTOWIDTH
253 bool " Calculate terminal & column widths"
255 depends on CONFIG_LS || CONFIG_MORE
257 This option allows utilities such as 'ls' and 'more' to determine the
258 width of the screen, which can allow them to display additional text
259 or avoid wrapping text onto the next line. If you leave this
260 disabled, your utilities will be especially primitive and will be
261 unable to determine the current screen width.
263 config CONFIG_PIVOT_ROOT
267 The pivot_root utility swaps the mount points for the root filesystem
268 with some other mounted filesystem. This allows you to do all sorts
269 of wild and crazy things with your Linux system and is far more
270 powerful than 'chroot'.
276 The rdate utility allows you to syncronize the date and time of your
277 system clock with the date and time of a remote networked system using
278 the RFC868 protocol, which is built into the inetd daemon on most
281 config CONFIG_SWAPONOFF
285 This option enables both the 'swapon' and the 'swapoff' utilities.
286 Once you have created some swap space using 'mkswap', you also need
287 to enable your swap space with the 'swapon' utility. The 'swapoff'
288 utility is used, typically at system shutdown, to disable any swap
289 space. If you are not using any swap space, you can leave this
296 All files and filesystems in Unix are arranged into one big directory
297 tree. The 'mount' utility is used to graft a filesystem onto a
298 particular part of the tree. A filesystem can either live on a block
299 device, or it can be accessible over the network, as is the case with
300 NFS filesystems. Most people using BusyBox will also want to enable
303 config CONFIG_NFSMOUNT
304 bool " Support mounting nfs file systems"
306 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT
308 Enable mounting of NFS file systems.
314 When you want to remove a mounted filesystem from its current mount point,
315 for example when you are shutting down the system, the 'umount' utility is
316 the tool to use. If you enabled the 'mount' utility, you almost certainly
317 also want to enable 'umount'.
319 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MOUNT_FORCE
320 bool " Support forced filesystem unmounting"
322 depends on CONFIG_UMOUNT
324 This allows you to _force_ a filesystem to be umounted. This is generally
325 only useful when you want to get rid of an unreachable NFS system.
327 comment "Common options for mount/umount"
328 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
330 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MOUNT_LOOP
331 bool " Support for loop devices"
333 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
335 Enabling this feature allows mount to use the '-o' loop options,
336 which lets you loop mount files. Mount will automagically setup and
337 free the necessary loop devices so you do not need to mess with the
338 'losetup' utility unless you really want to. This is really only useful
339 if you plan to loop mount files.
341 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_SUPPORT
342 bool " Support for a real /etc/mtab (instead of /proc/mounts)"
344 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
346 If your root filesystem is writable and you wish to have the 'mount'
347 utility create an mtab file listing the filesystems which have been
348 mounted then you should enable this option. Most people that use
349 BusyBox have a read-only root filesystem, so they will leave this
350 option disabled and BusyBox will use the /proc/mounts file.
352 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_FILENAME
353 string " mtab file location"
355 depends on CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_SUPPORT
357 Some people have a read only root filesystem, but they also wish to
358 have the 'mount' utility create an mtab file listing the filesystems
359 which have been mounted. This option allows you to specify an alternative
360 location for the mtab file, such as /var/mtab, or /tmp/mtab. The default
361 value is /etc/mtab, which is where this file is located on most desktop