BusyBox has many useful commands. Here is a list of the commands documented in a recent BusyBox snapshot.
| addgroup |
Adds a group to the system |
| adduser |
Adds a user to the system |
| adjtimex |
Reads and optionally sets system timebase parameters |
| ar |
Extracts or lists files from an ar archive |
| arping |
Pings hosts by ARP requests/replies |
| ash |
The ash shell (command interpreter) |
| awk |
Pattern-scanning and processing language |
| basename |
Strips directory path and suffixes from files |
| bunzip2 |
Uncompresses a file (or standard input if no input file specified) |
| bzcat |
Uncompresses to stdout |
| cal |
Displays a calendar |
| cat |
Concatenates file(s) and prints them to stdout |
| chgrp |
Changes the group membership of each file |
| chmod |
Changes file access permissions |
| chown |
Changes the owner and/or group of file(s) |
| chroot |
Runs the command with root directory set to new root |
| chvt |
Changes the foreground virtual terminal to /dev/ttyN |
| clear |
Clears screen |
| cmp |
Compares files |
| cp |
Copies files |
| cpio |
Extracts or lists files from a cpio archive |
| crond |
BusyBox's version of cron daemon |
| crontab |
Manages crontab control file |
| cut |
Prints selected fields from each input file to standard output |
| date |
Displays or sets the system time |
| dc |
Tiny RPN calculator |
| dd |
Copies a file, converting and formatting according to options |
| deallocvt |
Deallocates unused virtual terminal /dev/ttyN |
| delgroup |
Deletes a group from the system |
| deluser |
Deletes a user from the system |
| devfsd |
Obsolete daemon for managing devfs permissions and old device name symlinks |
| df |
Prints the file system space used and space available |
| dirname |
Strips a nondirectory suffix from a filename |
| dmesg |
Prints or controls the kernel ring buffer |
| dos2unix |
Converts a file from DOS format to UNIX format |
| dpkg |
Utility to install, remove, and manage Debian packages |
| dpkg-deb |
Performs actions on Debian packages (debs) |
| du |
Summarizes disk space used for each file and/or directory |
| dumpkmap |
Prints a binary keyboard-translation table to standard output |
| dumpleases |
Displays the DHCP leases granted by udhcpd |
| echo |
Prints the specified ARGs to stdout |
| env |
Prints the current environment or runs a program after setting |
| expr |
Prints the value of an expression to standard output |
| false |
Returns an exit code of FALSE (1) |
| fbset |
Shows and modifies frame buffer settings |
| fdflush |
Forces floppy disk drive to detect disk change |
| fdformat |
Low-level-formats a floppy disk |
| fdisk |
Changes partition table |
| find |
Searches for files in a directory hierarchy |
| fold |
Wraps input lines in each file |
| free |
Displays the amount of free and used system memory |
| freeramdisk |
Frees all memory used by the specified ramdisk |
| fsckminix |
Performs a consistency check for MINIX file systems |
| ftpget |
Retrieves a remote file via FTP |
| ftpput |
Stores a local file on a remote machine via FTP |
| getopt |
Parses command options |
| getty |
Opens a tty, prompts for a login name, and then invokes /bin/login |
| grep |
Searches for PATTERN in each file or standard input |
| gunzip |
Uncompresses file (or standard input) |
| gzip |
Compresses file(s) with maximum compression |
| halt |
Halts the system |
| hdparm |
Gets/sets hard disk parameters |
| head |
Prints first 10 lines of each file to standard output |
| hexdump |
Dumps files in user-specified binary, octal, hex, character, or decimal format |
| hostid |
Prints a unique 32-bit identifier for the machine |
| hostname |
Gets or sets the hostname |
| httpd |
Listens for incoming http server requests |
| hwclock |
Queries and sets the hardware clock (RTC) |
| id |
Prints information for USERNAME or the current user |
| ifconfig |
Configures a network interface |
| ifdown |
Deconfigures an interface |
| ifup |
Configure an interface |
| inetd |
Listenss for network connections and launches programs |
| init |
BusyBox version of init |
| insmod |
Loads the specified kernel modules into the kernel |
| install |
Copies files and sets attributes |
| ip |
TCP/IP configuration utility |
| ipaddr |
Manipulates interface addresses |
| ipcalc |
Calculates IP network settings from an IP address |
| iplink |
Manipulates interface settings |
| iproute |
Displays/sets routing table entries |
| iptunnel |
BusyBox iptunnel utility |
| kill |
Sends a signal (default is SIGTERM) to the specified process(es) |
| killall |
Sends a signal (default is SIGTERM) to the specified process(es) |
| klogd |
Kernel logger |
| lash |
The BusyBox LAme SHell (command interpreter) |
| last |
Shows a listing of the last users who logged into the system |
| length |
Prints the length of the specified STRING |
| ln |
Creates a link named LINK_NAME or DIRECTORY to the specified TARGET |
| loadfont |
Loads a console font from standard input |
| loadkmap |
Loads a binary keyboard-translation table from standard input |
| logger |
Writes MESSAGE to the system log |
| login |
Begins a new session on the system |
| logname |
Prints the name of the current user |
| logread |
Shows the messages from syslogd |
| losetup |
Associates LOOPDEVICE with file |
| ls |
Lists directory contents |
| lsmod |
Lists the currently loaded kernel modules |
| makedevs |
Creates a range of block or character special files |
| md5sum |
Prints or checks MD5 checksums |
| mesg |
mesg controls write access to your terminal |
| mkdir |
Creates directory entries |
| mkfifo |
Creates a named pipe (identical to mknod name p) |
| mkfsminix |
Makes a MINIX file system |
| mknod |
Creates a special file (block, character, or pipe) |
| mkswap |
Prepares a disk partition to be used as a swap partition |
| mktemp |
Creates a temporary file with its name based on TEMPLATE |
| modprobe |
Used for high-level module loading and unloading |
| more |
Filter for viewing files one screenful at a time |
| mount |
Mounts a file system |
| mt |
Controls magnetic tape drive operation |
| mv |
Renames and/or moves files |
| nameif |
Renames a network interface while in the down state |
| nc |
Netcat opens a pipe to IP:port |
| netstat |
Netstat displays Linux networking information |
| nslookup |
Queries the nameserver for the IP address of the given host |
| od |
Dumps files in octal and other formats |
| openvt |
Starts a command on a new virtual terminal |
| passwd |
Changes a user password |
| patch |
BusyBox implementation of patch |
| pidof |
Gets PID of named process |
| ping |
Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts |
| ping6 |
Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts |
| pivot_root |
Changes the root file system |
| poweroff |
Halts the system and requests that the kernel shut off the power |
| printf |
Formats and prints arguments according to user format |
| ps |
Reports process status |
| pwd |
Prints the full filename of the current working directory |
| rdate |
Gets and possibly sets the system date and time from a remote HOST |
| readlink |
Displays the value of a symbolic link |
| realpath |
Returns the absolute pathnames of a given argument |
| reboot |
Reboots the system |
| renice |
Changes priority of running processes in allowed priorities range |
| reset |
Resets the screen |
| rm |
Removes (unlink) file(s) |
| rmdir |
Removes directory(ies), if they are empty |
| rmmod |
Unloads the specified kernel modules from the kernel |
| route |
Edits the kernel's routing tables |
| rpm |
Manipulates RPM packages |
| rpm2cpio |
Outputs a cpio archive of the rpm file |
| run-parts |
Runs a bunch of scripts in a directory |
| rx |
Receives a file using the xmodem protocol |
| sed |
Busybox Stream Editor implementation |
| seq |
Prints a range of numbers to standard output |
| setkeycodes |
Sets entries into the kernel's scancode-to-keycode map |
| sha1sum |
Prints or checks SHA1 checksums |
| sleep |
Delay for specified amount of time |
| sort |
Sorts lines of text in the specified files |
| start-stop-daemon |
Program to start and stop services |
| strings |
Displays printable strings in a binary file |
| stty |
Displays and modifies terminal settings |
| su |
Changes user ID or become root |
| sulogin |
Single user login |
| swapoff |
Disables virtual memory page swapping |
| swapon |
Enables virtual memory page swapping |
| sync |
Writes all buffered file system blocks to disk |
| sysctl |
Configures kernel parameters at runtime |
| syslogd |
Linux system and kernel-logging utility |
| tail |
Prints last 10 lines of each file to standard output |
| tar |
Creates, extracts, or lists files from a tar file |
| tee |
Copies standard input to each file and also to standard output |
| telnet |
BusyBox Telnet client implementation |
| telnetd |
BusyBox Telnet server implementation |
| test |
Checks file types and compares values, returning an exit |
| tftp |
Transfers a file using TFTP protocol |
| time |
Measures time used by a program |
| top |
Provides a view of processor activity in real time |
| touch |
Updates the last-modified date on the given FILE[s] |
| tr |
Translates, squeezes, and/or deletes characters |
| traceroute |
Traces the route IP packets follow |
| true |
Returns an exit code of trUE (0) |
| tty |
Prints the filename of the terminal connected to standard input |
| udhcpc |
BusyBox DHCP client implementation |
| udhcpd |
BusyBox DHCP server implementation |
| umount |
Unmount file systems |
| uname |
Prints certain system information |
| uncompress |
Uncompresses Z file(s) |
| uniq |
Discards all but one of successive identical lines from INPUT |
| unix2dos |
Converts file from UNIX format to DOS format |
| unzip |
Extracts files from ZIP archives |
| uptime |
Displays the time since the last boot |
| usleep |
Pauses for n microseconds |
| uudecode |
Uudecodes a file that is uuencoded |
| uuencode |
Uuencodes a file |
| vconfig |
Lets you create and remove virtual Ethernet devices |
| vi |
BusyBox vi editor |
| vlock |
Locks a virtual terminal and requires a password to unlock it |
| watch |
Executes a program periodically |
| watchdog |
Periodically writes to a specified watchdog device |
| wc |
Prints line, word, and byte counts for each file |
| wget |
Retrieves files via HTTP or FTP |
| which |
Locates a command on the current path |
| who |
Prints the current usernames and related information |
| whoami |
Prints the username associated with the current effective user ID |
| xargs |
Executes a command on every item given by standard input |
| yes |
Repeatedly outputs a line with all specified STRING(s), or y |
| zcat |
Uncompresses to stdout |