BusyBox

Jonathan

Hi,

I'm trying to edit the HOSTS file hidden in my Voyager 2110 router so that I don't have to keep typing the IP of each computer on the LAN.

Problem is that the router is running a very lean version of BusyBox with hardly any cmds left.

BusyBox v1.00 (2007.03.26-10:54+0000) Built-in shell (msh)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# help

Built-in commands:
-------------------
        . : break cd continue eval exec exit export help login newgrp
        read readonly set shift times trap umask wait [ busybox cat chmod
        date df dmesg echo expr false ifconfig init insmod kill klogd
        linuxrc ln logger logread mkdir mount msh ping ps pwd reboot
        rm rmmod route sendarp sh sysinfo syslogd test tftp tftpd top
        true tty vconfig

#

Can anyone spot at way to edit a file using those cmds above? Seems like an awful effort to recompile from source each time I want to edit the filesystem.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

echo "192.168.1.3      mycomputer" >> hosts

Should do it.

Using >> appends the output to a new line in the file. If you want to clear it and start afresh, use >.

niallb

Another approach:

cat >> newhosts
Press enter and type in your hosts file as you want it.
When you're finished, press enter for an empty line and press CTRL-D
this should give you your prompt back.

cat newhosts
and check to see the temporary file looks right.
If it is, then cp newhosts /etc/hosts to put it in place.

If you've a few different hosts to put in, this approach might be easier.

(Another tip for borked systems, if ls isn't working, echo *
will work as a crude subsitute... There's more...)

Jonathan

Sean_K wrote: »

echo "192.168.1.3      mycomputer" >> hosts

Should do it.

Using >> appends the output to a new line in the file. If you want to clear it and start afresh, use >.

Yeah, I had saw that during my googles, but would have been more comfortable editing the file proper, rather than appending to it.

niallb wrote: »

Another approach:

cat >> newhosts
Press enter and type in your hosts file as you want it.
When you're finished, press enter for an empty line and press CTRL-D
this should give you your prompt back.

cat newhosts
and check to see the temporary file looks right.
If it is, then cp newhosts /etc/hosts to put it in place.

If you've a few different hosts to put in, this approach might be easier.

(Another tip for borked systems, if ls isn't working, echo *
will work as a crude subsitute... There's more...)

That was more along the lines of what I was looking for thanks.


In the end it doesn't anyway. I've just realised all the files are replaced when the system is rebooted.

Naikon

Jonathan wrote: »

Yeah, I had saw that during my googles, but would have been more comfortable editing the file proper, rather than appending to it.

That was more along the lines of what I was looking for thanks.


In the end it doesn't anyway. I've just realised all the files are replaced when the system is rebooted.

There must be a way of mounting the partitions(s) as non read only
during boot. BT may have locked the thing down quite well considering
its a consumer device.

If not, you could just write out a decent /etc/hosts on your main machine
and just rsync/scp it to other boxes in the network.

Jonathan

Naikon wrote: »

There must be a way of mounting the partitions(s) as non read only
during boot. BT may have locked the thing down quite well considering
its a consumer device.

If not, you could just write out a decent /etc/hosts on your main machine
and just rsync/scp it to other boxes in the network.

I forgot to reply to this.

Yeah, I didn't want to go editing the local hosts file as one of them is a laptop (on the off chance that another computer on a different network that the laptop might connect to would have a computer with the same host name).

Naikon

Jonathan wrote: »

I forgot to reply to this.

Yeah, I didn't want to go editing the local hosts file as one of them is a laptop (on the off chance that another computer on a different network that the laptop might connect to would have a computer with the same host name).

Makes sense. Hope you get sorted out:)