Busybox
Busybox is a miniature complete UNIX-like environment. Its original purpose was to provide full UNIX functionality in embedded Linux systems.For a while, I have been using an ancient version of msys from 2002 to provide a small UNIX environment for Windows, and wanted to have a Windows port of Busybox. Ron Yorston stepped up to plate and there is a now a Windows port of Busybox, complete with Unicode support.
Download
Downloads are here:- Windows binary. I have tested this in Windows 11; it should work in older Windows versions, but no guarantees. This file is compressed with 7zip, which Windows 11 (but not Windows 10) can open without installing external software.
- Source code. I have checked, and this is the exact source code used to build the above binary.
Using the download
- Open up cmd in Windows 11
- Place busybox.exe in one’s path
- Type in busybox sh -l to start up a Busybox shell
External links
- Busybox. The original Linux source code.
- Busybox for Windows.
- GitHub mirror of Busybox for Windows source code
- Toybox, like Busybox but BSD-licensed.