Discussion:
[Freedos-devel] Linux commands in DOS - Minibox
Jim Hall
2017-05-26 11:39:15 UTC
Permalink
Do you mean the links from my email?

I just clicked on them again from my phone, and the links work except the
ftp link. My phone doesn't like ftp, I guess.
I was unsuccessful in finding any links that worked. Am I missing
something? Did anyone have better luck?
Minibox is an interesting project, but I wonder why implement
everything in one large binary, just to execute simple commands. I
know you are mimicking Busybox (above). But on a DOS system, it seems
very resource heavy to load a large exe that requires DPMI to do
commands like: (from the README)
beep
cat
cd
clear
cp
date
echo
ls
mkdir
mv
pwd
rm
rmdir
sh
time
Wouldn't it be easier and more resource efficient to implement these
as small, individual programs? "cat" is not a very big program, for
example.
This.
There's an interesting parallel here, and I think this would make a
good project for someone: Years ago, there was the "GNUish" project,
which ported the GNU utilities to DOS. But eventually the project
stalled. Before GNUish shut down, they reached out to me to mirror
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/gnuish/
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/gnuish/gnuish.htm
I think it would be great for someone to pick up the GNUish project
again. Port the GNU Utilities (ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/) to FreeDOS
using OpenWatcom, or DJGPP. This is likely challenging, as it will
require creating wrappers for different functionality, workarounds for
other functionality that doesn't (or can't?) exist on DOS, etc.
*That* is something that would be really interesting on FreeDOS! We
already have some Unix-like programs in FreeDOS (cal, du, bc, grep,
sed, ...) and a few utilities exist at DJ Delorie's repo, but AFAIK no
one has created a comprehensive update to GNUish.
I think one of the last updates to GNUish was when I got a wild hair and
ported over a then-recent "cpio". That had to be around 2000...
I've thought of doing something similar to GNUish using rewritten code
and/or BSD code but there's not much stuff that ports over without a lot of
rewriting, and back in those days I was a newcomer to C. Maybe I should
try again.
-uso.
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Ralf Quint
2017-05-26 03:57:19 UTC
Permalink
Minibox is an interesting project, but I wonder why implement
everything in one large binary, just to execute simple commands. I
know you are mimicking Busybox (above). But on a DOS system, it seems
very resource heavy to load a large exe that requires DPMI to do
commands like: (from the README)
Well, no offense to the OP, but I think this is one clear example that
people these days don't understand (anymore) what DOS is and how it
works, and instead treat it as a second coming of Linux... :-(

Ralf

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Ercan Ersoy
2017-05-25 13:25:28 UTC
Permalink
Hello. I have developed another program for FreeDOS. This program is
Minibox.

Minibox provides some Linux commands for DOS.

Source code compiles by DJGPP. I suggest compressing this for UPX.

Minibox requires DPMI.


Website: https://gitlab.com/ercanersoy/Minibox


Best regards,

Ercan
Bitácora de Javier Gutiérrez Chamorro (Guti)
2017-05-25 13:36:15 UTC
Permalink
Thanks.
But looking at the source commited 20 minutes ago, it seems that no commands are yet implemented, it is only like a stub.
I am curious why it need DPMI and DJGPP for that? It is not enought Watcom C++ in 16 bit real mode?


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Remitente: Ercan Ersoy <***@outlook.com>
Destinatario: freedos-***@lists.sourceforge.net <freedos-***@lists.sourceforge.net>
Fecha: jueves, 25 de mayo de 2017, 15:25:28
Asunto: [Freedos-devel] Linux commands in DOS - Minibox
Archivos: <none>
--====----====----====----====----====----====----====----====----====----===--
Hello. I have developed another program for FreeDOS. This program is
Minibox.

Minibox provides some Linux commands for DOS.

Source code compiles by DJGPP. I suggest compressing this for UPX.

Minibox requires DPMI.


Website: https://gitlab.com/ercanersoy/Minibox


Best regards,

Ercan

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Jim Hall
2017-05-26 14:50:25 UTC
Permalink
I've been writing my own set of UNIX tools for DOS for personal use.
Would anyone like me to publish these here in their own thread?
We have a few Unix-workalike utilities on ibiblio.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/file/

I think over the weekend I'll create a new directory there, so we can
collect the Unix-like utilities in one place. Might call this "unix"
or "unix-like" or "unixish", probably under
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/file/

I'll post a note to the list to let folks know when it's done, and
where to find it.


Jim
Mark Olesen
2017-05-27 01:23:01 UTC
Permalink
The links in the actual page route to simtel.net not

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/gnuish/
Post by Jim Hall
Do you mean the links from my email?
I just clicked on them again from my phone, and the links work except the
ftp link. My phone doesn't like ftp, I guess.
I was unsuccessful in finding any links that worked. Am I missing
something? Did anyone have better luck?
Minibox is an interesting project, but I wonder why implement
everything in one large binary, just to execute simple commands. I
know you are mimicking Busybox (above). But on a DOS system, it seems
very resource heavy to load a large exe that requires DPMI to do
commands like: (from the README)
beep
cat
cd
clear
cp
date
echo
ls
mkdir
mv
pwd
rm
rmdir
sh
time
Wouldn't it be easier and more resource efficient to implement these
as small, individual programs? "cat" is not a very big program, for
example.
This.
There's an interesting parallel here, and I think this would make a
good project for someone: Years ago, there was the "GNUish" project,
which ported the GNU utilities to DOS. But eventually the project
stalled. Before GNUish shut down, they reached out to me to mirror
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/gnuish/
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/gnuish/gnuish.htm
I think it would be great for someone to pick up the GNUish project
again. Port the GNU Utilities (ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/) to FreeDOS
using OpenWatcom, or DJGPP. This is likely challenging, as it will
require creating wrappers for different functionality, workarounds for
other functionality that doesn't (or can't?) exist on DOS, etc.
*That* is something that would be really interesting on FreeDOS! We
already have some Unix-like programs in FreeDOS (cal, du, bc, grep,
sed, ...) and a few utilities exist at DJ Delorie's repo, but AFAIK no
one has created a comprehensive update to GNUish.
I think one of the last updates to GNUish was when I got a wild hair and
ported over a then-recent "cpio". That had to be around 2000...
I've thought of doing something similar to GNUish using rewritten code
and/or BSD code but there's not much stuff that ports over without a lot of
rewriting, and back in those days I was a newcomer to C. Maybe I should
try again.
-uso.
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Freedos-devel mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Freedos-devel mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
------------------------------------------------------------
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engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
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Ercan Ersoy
2017-05-26 14:52:57 UTC
Permalink
Thanks for interesting.

I would like add abilities to Minibox. But, I don't have much time for
this. I would like someone developing.

I have cloned in GitHub.

GitHub Page:

https://github.com/ercanersoy/Minibox


Best regards,

Ercan
Rugxulo
2017-05-27 05:40:51 UTC
Permalink
Hi,
I think it would be great for someone to pick up the GNUish project
again. Port the GNU Utilities (ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/) to FreeDOS
using OpenWatcom, or DJGPP. This is likely challenging, as it will
require creating wrappers for different functionality, workarounds for
other functionality that doesn't (or can't?) exist on DOS, etc.
*That* is something that would be really interesting on FreeDOS! We
already have some Unix-like programs in FreeDOS (cal, du, bc, grep,
sed, ...) and a few utilities exist at DJ Delorie's repo, but AFAIK no
one has created a comprehensive update to GNUish.
How many POSIX utils do you want? There are many:

* http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/idx/utilities.html
* http://rubyquiz.com/quiz97.html

Yes, DJGPP already has lots of stuff (File-, Text-, ShellUtils ...
aka, CoreUtils).

Yes, we already have 16-bit ports for many things (sed, awk, grep).

I think some stuff is more useful than others. E.g., I'd rather have
hexdump than od, for instance.

You should try to glean some stuff from old Minix 2.0.4 sources (in
C), which have been BSD-licensed for a while now:

src/CMD.TAZ - Commands sources (cp, ls, mkdir, etc.)

https://minix1.woodhull.com/current/2.0.4/src/CMD.TAZ

From there it should be fairly easy to get some common things working.

Or try to borrow from Landley's Toybox (also BSD-licensed):

http://landley.net/toybox/

(But I think it's better to be specific and limit yourself on what
exactly you will need and actively use.)
Rugxulo
2017-06-22 08:25:15 UTC
Permalink
Hi again,

Just to come back to this (briefly) ....
Post by Rugxulo
You should try to glean some stuff from old Minix 2.0.4 sources (in
From there it should be fairly easy to get some common things working.
I was accidentally reminded of this subdir (from Garbo, remember that?):

http://www.retroarchive.org/garbo/pc/unix/index.html

Nice descriptions for each file, so that all has to help somewhat.
Right? (Obviously some stuff is redundant.)

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