mainsail is the Python reference — easy to embed, easy to read. Its README documents three things it can't do: no fully-static Linux binary, no linux-arm64-musl, no macos-x64.
Staysail fills those gaps. zig build -Dtarget=x86_64-linux-musl produces a self-contained binary that runs in distroless/static, on Alpine, anywhere with a kernel. Same applet roster, same flags, same exit codes. Different runtime story.
-Dpreset=full/slim/minimal.zig build test ~10ms unit · 87 integration assertions in bats.std.process.Init · comptime applet registry.From a release no Zig is required. From source: zig build for the full 84-applet binary, or trim with a preset.
# From a release — no Zig required $ curl -LO https://github.com/Real-Fruit-Snacks/Staysail/releases/latest/download/staysail-linux-x64 $ chmod +x staysail-linux-x64 && ./staysail-linux-x64 --list # From source — Zig 0.16+ $ git clone https://github.com/Real-Fruit-Snacks/Staysail && cd Staysail $ zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall $ ./zig-out/bin/staysail --list # Wire up multi-call dispatch so each applet runs by its own name $ ln -s staysail cat # Unix $ copy staysail.exe cat.exe :: Windows $ ./cat README.md # dispatches to the cat applet # Or have staysail do it for every applet at once $ staysail install-aliases ~/.local/bin # Pick exactly the applets you need $ zig build -Dpreset=full # 84 applets (default) $ zig build -Dapplets=ls,cat,grep,sed,awk # hand-picked → < 100 KB
84 utilities organised by category. Every applet implements common POSIX flags. Per-applet caveats live in docs/PARITY.md.
cat · echo · printfFoundational text / outputtrue · false · yesExit-status / fill helperspwd · basename · dirnamePath componentsmkdir · touch · mv · cp · rmFilesystem mutationhead · tail · wc · teeStream slicing & countingtac · rev · tr · cutReverse / transformsort · uniq · seq · sleepOrder / sequence / timeexpand · unexpand · nl · pasteIndentation & numberingfold · split · comm · join · columnWrapping & tabulargrepPOSIX ERE · -F · -i · -v · -n · -c · -H · -hseds/regex/repl/[g][i] · d · p · q · = · -n · -i · -eawkBEGIN/END · regex · expressions · $0..$NF · NR/NF/FS/OFS/ORSfind-exec · -name · -type · -size · -mtime · ! · -a · -o · -deletels · stat · du · dfListing & statchmod · which · xargsMode · path lookup · arg builderrealpath · truncate · mktemp · ln · ddPath · size · scratch · link · copymd5sum · sha1/256/512sumIdentical SHA-256 of "abc" everywherebase64 · od · hexdumpBinary inspectiontar · gzip · gunzipcreate · extract · list · gz filter · BSD short + longzip · unzipReads deflate · writes storehttpcurl-style: GET/POST/PUT/DELETE/HEAD/PATCH · -H · -d · -j · TLSdig · ncUDP DNS (A/AAAA/MX/TXT/CNAME/NS/PTR) · TCP connect+listen+scanjq16 builtins · pipes · constructors · if-then-else · -r/-c/-suname · whoami · hostnameIdentityid · groups · env · dateContextuuidgen · getopt · timeout · watchHelperscmp · diff · fmtCompare & formatinstall-aliasesSymlink/hardlink/copy applets into a target dircompletionsbash / zsh / fish / powershellupdateAtomic self-update from GitHub releasespreset=full|slim|minBundle preset (default: full)applets=<list>Hand-pick (overrides preset)optimize=ReleaseSmallDefault: Debugtarget=<triple>Cross-compile targetEntry → dispatch → comptime registry → applet. The same path whether invoked directly, via subcommand, or through a symlink.
src/ main.zig // process entry · stdio init · calls dispatch ↓ registry.zig // argv[0] basename match · subcommand fallback // comptime-built applet table from build_options ↓ applets/all.zig // static index · one pub const per applet // active set filtered at compile time ↓ applets/<name>.zig // per-applet · exports name · aliases · help · run tests/ zig build test // unit ~10ms integration/smoke.sh // 87 bats assertions
Same applet contract. Same flag conventions. Same exit codes. Different size/portability tradeoffs.
| Tool | Lang | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| rill | ASM | ~34 KB | Pure NASM · no libc |
| moonraker | Lua | ~1.2 MB | Embedded Lua VM |
| staysail | Zig | ~1 MB | Smallest fully native |
| jib | Rust | ~2.4 MB | + jq · http · dig |
| topsail | Go | ~3.4 MB | .deb · .rpm · .apk |
| mainsail | Py | ~5.5 MB | Or ~110 KB .pyz |