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 graphics display. Enable this option
28 if you wish 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 graphics
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
62 config CONFIG_FDFORMAT
66 fdformat is used to low-level format a floppy disk.
72 The fdisk utility is used to divide hard disks into one or more
73 logical disks, which are generally called partitions. This utility
74 can be used to list and edit the set of partitions or BSD style
75 'disk slices' that are defined on a hard drive.
78 config FDISK_SUPPORT_LARGE_DISKS
79 bool " support over 4GB disks"
81 depends on CONFIG_FDISK
83 Enable this option to support large disks > 4GB.
86 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
89 depends on CONFIG_FDISK
91 Enabling this option allows you to create or change a partition table
92 and write those changes out to disk. If you leave this option
93 disabled, you will only be able to view the partition table.
95 config CONFIG_FEATURE_AIX_LABEL
96 bool " Support AIX disklabels"
98 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
100 Enabling this option allows you to create or change AIX disklabels.
101 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
103 config CONFIG_FEATURE_SGI_LABEL
104 bool " Support SGI disklabels"
106 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
108 Enabling this option allows you to create or change SGI disklabels.
109 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
111 config CONFIG_FEATURE_SUN_LABEL
112 bool " Support SUN disklabels"
114 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
116 Enabling this option allows you to create or change SUN disklabels.
117 Most people can safely leave this option disabled.
119 config CONFIG_FEATURE_OSF_LABEL
120 bool " Support BSD disklabels"
122 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
124 Enabling this option allows you to create or change BSD disklabels
125 and define and edit BSD disk slices.
127 config CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_ADVANCED
128 bool " Support expert mode"
130 depends on CONFIG_FDISK && CONFIG_FEATURE_FDISK_WRITABLE
132 Enabling this option allows you to do terribly unsafe things like
133 define arbitrary drive geometry, move the beginning of data in a
134 partition, and similarly evil things. Unless you have a very good
135 reason you would be wise to leave this disabled.
137 config CONFIG_FREERAMDISK
141 Linux allows you to create ramdisks. This utility allows you to
142 delete them and completely free all memory that was used for the
143 ramdisk. For example, if you boot Linux into a ramdisk and later
144 pivot_root, you may want to free the memory that is allocated to the
145 ramdisk. If you have no use for freeing memory from a ramdisk, leave
148 config CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX
152 The minix filesystem is a nice, small, compact, read-write filesystem
153 with little overhead. It is not a journaling filesystem however and
154 can experience corruption if it is not properly unmounted or if the
155 power goes off in the middle of a write. This utility allows you to
156 check for and attempt to repair any corruption that occurs to a minix
159 config CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
163 The minix filesystem is a nice, small, compact, read-write filesystem
164 with little overhead. If you wish to be able to create minix filesystems
165 this utility will do the job for you.
167 comment "Minix filesystem support"
168 depends on CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX || CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
170 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MINIX2
171 bool " Support Minix fs v2 (fsck_minix/mkfs_minix)"
173 depends on CONFIG_FSCK_MINIX || CONFIG_MKFS_MINIX
175 If you wish to be able to create version 2 minix filesystems, enable this.
176 If you enabled 'mkfs_minix' then you almost certainly want to be using the
177 version 2 filesystem support.
183 The getopt utility is used to break up (parse) options in command
184 lines to make it easy to write complex shell scripts that also check
185 for legal (and illegal) options. If you want to write horribly
186 complex shell scripts, or use some horribly complex shell script
187 written by others, this utility may be for you. Most people will
188 wisely leave this disabled.
190 config CONFIG_HEXDUMP
194 The hexdump utility is used to display binary data in a readable
195 way that is comparable to the output from most hex editors.
197 config CONFIG_HWCLOCK
201 The hwclock utility is used to read and set the hardware clock
202 on a system. This is primarily used to set the current time on
203 shutdown in the hardware clock, so the hardware will keep the
204 correct time when Linux is _not_ running.
206 config CONFIG_FEATURE_HWCLOCK_LONGOPTIONS
207 bool " Support long options (--hctosys,...)"
209 depends on CONFIG_HWCLOCK
211 By default, the hwclock utility only uses short options. If you
212 are overly fond of its long options, such as --hctosys, --utc, etc)
213 then enable this option.
215 config CONFIG_LOSETUP
219 losetup is used to associate or detach a loop device with a regular
220 file or block device, and to query the status of a loop device. This
221 version does not currently support enabling data encryption.
227 The mkswap utility is used to configure a file or disk partition as
228 Linux swap space. This allows Linux to use the entire file or
229 partition as if it were additional RAM, which can greatly increase
230 the capability of low-memory machines. This additional memory is
231 much slower than real RAM, but can be very helpful at preventing your
232 applications being killed by the Linux out of memory (OOM) killer.
233 Once you have created swap space using 'mkswap' you need to enable
234 the swap space using the 'swapon' utility.
240 more is a simple utility which allows you to read text one screen
241 sized page at a time. If you want to read text that is larger than
242 the screen, and you are using anything faster than a 300 baud modem,
243 you will probably find this utility very helpful. If you don't have
244 any need to reading text files, you can leave this disabled.
246 config CONFIG_FEATURE_USE_TERMIOS
247 bool " Use termios to manipulate the screen"
249 depends on CONFIG_MORE
251 This option allows utilities such as 'more' and 'top' to determine
252 the size of the screen. If you leave this disabled, your utilities
253 that display things on the screen will be especially primitive and
254 will be unable to determine the current screen size, and will be
255 unable to move the cursor.
257 config CONFIG_PIVOT_ROOT
261 The pivot_root utility swaps the mount points for the root filesystem
262 with some other mounted filesystem. This allows you to do all sorts
263 of wild and crazy things with your Linux system and is far more
264 powerful than 'chroot'.
270 The rdate utility allows you to synchronize the date and time of your
271 system clock with the date and time of a remote networked system using
272 the RFC868 protocol, which is built into the inetd daemon on most
275 config CONFIG_SWAPONOFF
279 This option enables both the 'swapon' and the 'swapoff' utilities.
280 Once you have created some swap space using 'mkswap', you also need
281 to enable your swap space with the 'swapon' utility. The 'swapoff'
282 utility is used, typically at system shutdown, to disable any swap
283 space. If you are not using any swap space, you can leave this
290 All files and filesystems in Unix are arranged into one big directory
291 tree. The 'mount' utility is used to graft a filesystem onto a
292 particular part of the tree. A filesystem can either live on a block
293 device, or it can be accessible over the network, as is the case with
294 NFS filesystems. Most people using BusyBox will also want to enable
297 config CONFIG_NFSMOUNT
298 bool " Support mounting NFS file systems"
300 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT
302 Enable mounting of NFS file systems.
308 When you want to remove a mounted filesystem from its current mount point,
309 for example when you are shutting down the system, the 'umount' utility is
310 the tool to use. If you enabled the 'mount' utility, you almost certainly
311 also want to enable 'umount'.
313 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MOUNT_FORCE
314 bool " Support forced filesystem unmounting"
316 depends on CONFIG_UMOUNT
318 This allows you to _force_ a filesystem to be umounted. This is generally
319 only useful when you want to get rid of an unreachable NFS system.
321 comment "Common options for mount/umount"
322 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
324 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MOUNT_LOOP
325 bool " Support for loop devices"
327 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
329 Enabling this feature allows mount to use the '-o' loop options,
330 which lets you loop mount files. Mount will automagically setup and
331 free the necessary loop devices so you do not need to mess with the
332 'losetup' utility unless you really want to. This is really
333 only useful if you plan to loop mount files.
335 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_SUPPORT
336 bool " Support for a real /etc/mtab (instead of /proc/mounts)"
338 depends on CONFIG_MOUNT || CONFIG_UMOUNT
340 If your root filesystem is writable and you wish to have the 'mount'
341 utility create an mtab file listing the filesystems which have been
342 mounted then you should enable this option. Most people that use
343 BusyBox have a read-only root filesystem, so they will leave this
344 option disabled and BusyBox will use the /proc/mounts file.
346 config CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_FILENAME
347 string " mtab file location"
349 depends on CONFIG_FEATURE_MTAB_SUPPORT
351 Some people have a read only root filesystem, but they also wish to
352 have the 'mount' utility create an mtab file listing the filesystems
353 which have been mounted. This option allows you to specify an alternative
354 location for the mtab file, such as /var/mtab, or /tmp/mtab. The default
355 value is /etc/mtab, which is where this file is located on most desktop