[klibc] difference between busybox and klibc (faq?)

[Vassilis Virvilis]

octane indice wrote:

>  > initramfs-tools provides an nfsmount implementation.
>  > busybox will have to be linked against a c lib that you
>  > need to put in initramfs too.
>  >  
>  Yes, but, the goal can be established by both tools?

probably...

....

>  kernel, can I drop the bootloader? Almost everything in the
>  command line can be loaded inside initramfs, so the bootloader
>  is useless?

You have it backwards. BootLoader (grub, lilo, isolinux etc)
is used to load the kernel at first. Then the kernel boots
and it can either:

1) mount the partition that is passed via the command line option root=
and continue to execute /sbin/init

2) drop to early userspace before any mounting (initramfs)
       -At that point you can search the disks, cd, network for known partitions
       and mount one of them as your root partition
       -Then you proceed as previously by running /sbin/init or
	/bin/sh if you don't want a multiuser system

>  
>  Then the initramfs would drop a menu. (at first, a shell)
>  this menu asks you where is the root filesystem.
>  then it mount it and continues to boot.

you can scan first with a shell script and the fstype utility and
present a list of valid partitions to boot from

>  
>  I want to test it with nfs, then nfs over wireless links,
>  nfs over ipsec, then use it with fuse filesystem like 
>  sshfs or httpfs or any combination of these.
>  
>  Eventually, make a 2-time boot by loading a more recent 
>  kernel witk kexec, or with more capacities.
>  
>  Are these questions related to this list?

I think so. It is early user space questions that are in the scope
of klibc. AFAIU The role of the klibc is to make these things
possible.

     .bill