Wichert Akkerman wrote: > > Previously bug1 wrote: > > Hi, im implementing a mini ar command for boot-floppies to enable debs > > to be unpacked by busybox alone. > > Out of curiosity, why do you need that on boot-floppies? I know someone > already implemented ar as an awk script for a boot floppy btw. > I didnt realise there was an awk script to do it, i guess i should have looked around harder before i started, ill have to check it out.
I thought it would be a handy to be able to extract debs on the floppies without requiring the full functionality of dpkg-deb. e.g. instead of having a big pre-prepared base.tgz some base files could be just extracted from their regular debs. Ive passed on what i have to debian-boot, but havent discussed this particular idea yet, they are trying to focus on potato. I think the next generation of boot floppies could change quite a bit. Busybox already has tar and gz support, and ive found that tar and ar can share some functions, it currently compiles to a 3KB object file, so it doesnt add a very significant size cost to busybox. I guess the awk script would be small as well, as long as you have awk. Anyway, to late to stop now, it already works, i just have to clean it up a bit, and my c skills needed work anyway. Glenn
