udhos/conbox

conbox is a Go implementation of unix-like utilities as single static executable intended for small container images.

conbox

conbox is a Go implementation of unix-like utilities as single static executable intended for small container images.

• Install
• Usage
  • Available applets
  • Basename usage
  • Subcommand usage
  • Shell usage
• Adding new applet
• Docker
  • Run in docker
  • Docker recipes
• Related work
  • Go Projects
  • Non-Go projects

Created by gh-md-toc

Install

git clone https://github.com/udhos/conbox ;# clone outside of GOPATH
cd conbox
GO111MODULE=on go install ./conbox

Usage

Available applets

List available applets:

$ conbox
conbox: version 0.0 runtime go1.12.4 GOMAXPROC=1 OS=linux ARCH=amd64

usage: conbox APPLET [ARG]... : run APPLET
       conbox -h              : show command-line help
       conbox -l              : list applets

conbox: registered applets:
cat echo ls mkdir printenv pwd rm rmdir shell which

See all implemented applets here:

https://github.com/udhos/conbox/tree/master/applets

Basename usage

You can create a symbolic link for a supported applet pointing to 'conbox':

ln -s ~/go/bin/conbox ~/bin/cat
~/bin/cat /etc/passwd

Subcommand usage

Pass applet name as subcommand to 'conbox':

conbox cat /etc/passwd

Shell usage

All applets are also directly available from within conbox shell:

$ conbox shell
conbox: version 0.0 runtime go1.12.4 GOMAXPROC=1 OS=linux ARCH=amd64

welcome to conbox shell.
this tiny shell is very limited in features.
however you can run external programs normally.
some hints:
       - use 'conbox' to see all applets available as shell commands.
       - use 'help' to list shell built-in commands.
       - 'exit' terminates the shell.

shell built-in commands:
builtin cd exit help

conbox shell$

Adding new applet

1. Create a new package for the applet under directory 'applets'. The package must export the function Run() as show in example below.

$ more applets/myapp/run.go
package myapp // put applet myapp in package myapp

import (
        "fmt"

        "github.com/udhos/conbox/common"
)

// Run executes the applet.
func Run(tab map[string]common.AppletFunc, args []string) int {

        fmt.Println("myapp: hello")

        return 0 // exit status
}

2. In file 'conbox/applets.go', import the applet package and include its Run() function in the applet table:

$ more conbox/applets.go
package main

import (
	// (...)
        "github.com/udhos/conbox/applets/myapp" // <-- import the applet package
	// (...)
)

func loadApplets() map[string]common.AppletFunc {
        tab := map[string]common.AppletFunc{
		// (...)
                "myapp": myapp.Run, // <-- point applet name to its Run() function
		// (...)
        }
        return tab
}

3. Rebuild conbox and test the new applet:

$ go install ./conbox
$ conbox myapp
myapp: hello

Docker

Get 'conbox' as docker image udhos/conbox:latest from:

https://hub.docker.com/r/udhos/conbox

Run in docker

Run applet:

docker run --rm udhos/conbox:latest cat /etc/passwd

Run interactive shell:

docker run --rm -ti udhos/conbox:latest shell

Docker recipes

Build docker image:

./docker/build.sh

Tag image:

docker tag udhos/conbox udhos/conbox:latest

Push image:

docker login
docker push udhos/conbox:latest

Related work

Go Projects

• https://github.com/u-root/u-root

Unfortunately these projects seem inactive:

• https://github.com/surma/gobox
• https://github.com/laher/someutils
• https://github.com/shirou/toybox
• https://github.com/u35s/busybox
• https://github.com/ericlagergren/go-coreutils

Non-Go projects

• https://www.busybox.net/
• http://landley.net/toybox/

conbox's Issues

Consider mvdan/sh as a replacement for the shell applet

Consider using mvdan/sh to implement/replace your shell.

Project Goals?

Whilst you have listed similar projects as being inactive (true from my own analysis) what are your stated project goals here? Do you intend to incorporate those projects here (they do implement some applets you don't have), Do you intend to go further? What is the intended use of conbox? As a direct replacement for busybox?