Re: [PATCH 15/20] host/rootfs: Use real less, not BusyBox less

Alyssa Ross
2025-09-19T18:45:38Z

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Demi Marie Obenour <demiobenour@gmail.com> writes:

> On 9/8/25 05:25, Alyssa Ross wrote:
>> Demi Marie Obenour <demiobenour@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> The version of less in BusyBox cannot handle horizontal scrolling, so it
>>> is much less useful for debugging than less(1). As long as it less is
>>> needed, it is better to have a more useful version.
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Demi Marie Obenour <demiobenour@gmail.com>
>>
>> Is it needed?
>
> When I was debugging, I kept getting frustrated with limitations
> of Busybox less. This patch helped me quite a bit, so yes, I think
> it is needed.

What I mean is: is less needed at all? (I was referring to you saying
"as long as less is needed".)

So far I haven't added tools that are only useful for debugging to the
image (although the core dump handler is an exception). I frequently
use strace, for example, but I don't think it really belongs as part of
the system image. less is only really present at all because it snuck
is as part of busybox. I also don't want to have images used for
development to differ from the real ones, because then wee can miss
stuff in testing more easily. So here's an idea: what if we attach an
extra block device in "make run" that includes some debugging tools, and
then that can easily be mounted to get the extra tools when needed for
development, while still being able to use a normal build of the
Spectrum host system?

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