diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index 493c9c2f8..673d1aafd 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 	* Optional support contributed by Ben Collins <bcollins@debian.org> 
 	    for the kernel init chroot patch by Werner Almesberger, which 
 	    allows init to chroot to a new device, and umount the old one.
+	* added (and documented) "-n" option for head - 
+	    contributed Friedrich Vedder <fwv@myrtle.lahn.de>
+	* Cleanup for a number of usage messages -- also 
+	    contributed Friedrich Vedder <fwv@myrtle.lahn.de>
 	* Fixed bug that wouldn't let one chown a symlink -- it would
 	  always dereference before.  -beppu
 
diff --git a/archival/tar.c b/archival/tar.c
index 21ef24dcb..aedb36a23 100644
--- a/archival/tar.c
+++ b/archival/tar.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static const char tar_usage[] =
 #else
 
 static const char tar_usage[] =
-"tar -[cxtvOf] [tarFileName] [FILE] ...\n\n"
+"tar -[xtvOf] [tarFileName] [FILE] ...\n\n"
 "Extract, or list files stored in a tar file.  This\n"
 "version of tar does not support creation of tar files.\n\n"
 "Options:\n"
diff --git a/coreutils/du.c b/coreutils/du.c
index ec03afd95..79b553643 100644
--- a/coreutils/du.c
+++ b/coreutils/du.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 typedef void (Display)(size_t, char *);
 
 static const char du_usage[] =
-"Usage: du [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
+"du [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 "\t-s\tdisplay only a total for each argument\n"
 ;
 
@@ -140,4 +140,4 @@ du_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: du.c,v 1.8 1999/12/17 18:44:15 erik Exp $ */
+/* $Id: du.c,v 1.9 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/coreutils/head.c b/coreutils/head.c
index 7f08a8041..4e58bdcd7 100644
--- a/coreutils/head.c
+++ b/coreutils/head.c
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 const char head_usage[] =
-"Usage: head [FILE]...\n\n"
+"head [OPTION] [FILE]...\n\n"
 "Print first 10 lines of each FILE to standard output.\n"
 "With more than one FILE, precede each with a header giving the\n"
-"file name. With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n";
+"file name. With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\n"
+"Options:\n"
+"\t-n NUM\t\tPrint first NUM lines instead of first 10\n";
 
 int
 head(int len, FILE *src)
@@ -49,22 +51,22 @@ head(int len, FILE *src)
 int
 head_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    int	    i = 1;
     char    opt;
-    int	    len = 10;
-
-    /* 1st option is potentially special */
-    if ((argc > 1) && (argv[1][0] == '-') && isDecimal(argv[1][1])) {
-	int tmplen = atoi(&argv[1][1]);
-	if (tmplen) { len = tmplen; }
-	i = 2;
-    }
+    int	    len = 10, tmplen, i;
 
     /* parse argv[] */
-    for ( ; i < argc; i++) {
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 	if (argv[i][0] == '-') {
 	    opt = argv[i][1];
 	    switch (opt) {
+		case 'n':
+		    tmplen = 0;
+		    if (i++ < argc)
+			tmplen = atoi(argv[i]);
+		    if (tmplen < 1)
+			usage(head_usage);
+		    len = tmplen;
+		    break;
 		case '-':
 		case 'h':
 		    usage(head_usage);
@@ -103,4 +105,4 @@ head_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: head.c,v 1.4 1999/12/17 18:52:06 erik Exp $ */
+/* $Id: head.c,v 1.5 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/coreutils/mkdir.c b/coreutils/mkdir.c
index dc245a18e..017ef9b08 100644
--- a/coreutils/mkdir.c
+++ b/coreutils/mkdir.c
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 
-static const char mkdir_usage[] = "Usage: mkdir [OPTION] DIRECTORY...\n\n"
+static const char mkdir_usage[] =
+"mkdir [OPTION] DIRECTORY...\n\n"
 "Create the DIRECTORY(ies), if they do not already exist\n\n"
 "Options:\n"
 "\t-m\tset permission mode (as in chmod), not rwxrwxrwx - umask\n"
diff --git a/coreutils/sort.c b/coreutils/sort.c
index 0fe7bf99b..4df5627ac 100644
--- a/coreutils/sort.c
+++ b/coreutils/sort.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 static const char sort_usage[] =
-"Usage: sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
+"sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 ;
 
 /* typedefs _______________________________________________________________ */
@@ -309,4 +309,4 @@ sort_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: sort.c,v 1.8 1999/12/23 22:46:10 beppu Exp $ */
+/* $Id: sort.c,v 1.9 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/coreutils/uniq.c b/coreutils/uniq.c
index 034ea316e..a7bff54ec 100644
--- a/coreutils/uniq.c
+++ b/coreutils/uniq.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 static const char uniq_usage[] =
-"Usage: uniq [OPTION]... [INPUT [OUTPUT]]\n"
+"uniq [OPTION]... [INPUT [OUTPUT]]\n"
 "Discard all but one of successive identical lines from INPUT (or\n"
 "standard input), writing to OUTPUT (or standard output).\n"
 "\n"
@@ -193,4 +193,4 @@ uniq_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: uniq.c,v 1.4 2000/01/07 01:57:32 beppu Exp $ */
+/* $Id: uniq.c,v 1.5 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/coreutils/wc.c b/coreutils/wc.c
index a1e2fca56..e69f0d899 100644
--- a/coreutils/wc.c
+++ b/coreutils/wc.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ static const char wc_usage[] = "wc [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 "\t-c\tprint the byte counts\n"
 "\t-l\tprint the newline counts\n"
 "\t-L\tprint the length of the longest line\n"
-"\t-L\tprint the length of the longest line\n"
 "\t-w\tprint the word counts\n";
 
 static int total_lines, total_words, total_chars, max_length;
diff --git a/du.c b/du.c
index ec03afd95..79b553643 100644
--- a/du.c
+++ b/du.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 typedef void (Display)(size_t, char *);
 
 static const char du_usage[] =
-"Usage: du [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
+"du [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 "\t-s\tdisplay only a total for each argument\n"
 ;
 
@@ -140,4 +140,4 @@ du_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: du.c,v 1.8 1999/12/17 18:44:15 erik Exp $ */
+/* $Id: du.c,v 1.9 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/head.c b/head.c
index 7f08a8041..4e58bdcd7 100644
--- a/head.c
+++ b/head.c
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 const char head_usage[] =
-"Usage: head [FILE]...\n\n"
+"head [OPTION] [FILE]...\n\n"
 "Print first 10 lines of each FILE to standard output.\n"
 "With more than one FILE, precede each with a header giving the\n"
-"file name. With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n";
+"file name. With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\n"
+"Options:\n"
+"\t-n NUM\t\tPrint first NUM lines instead of first 10\n";
 
 int
 head(int len, FILE *src)
@@ -49,22 +51,22 @@ head(int len, FILE *src)
 int
 head_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    int	    i = 1;
     char    opt;
-    int	    len = 10;
-
-    /* 1st option is potentially special */
-    if ((argc > 1) && (argv[1][0] == '-') && isDecimal(argv[1][1])) {
-	int tmplen = atoi(&argv[1][1]);
-	if (tmplen) { len = tmplen; }
-	i = 2;
-    }
+    int	    len = 10, tmplen, i;
 
     /* parse argv[] */
-    for ( ; i < argc; i++) {
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 	if (argv[i][0] == '-') {
 	    opt = argv[i][1];
 	    switch (opt) {
+		case 'n':
+		    tmplen = 0;
+		    if (i++ < argc)
+			tmplen = atoi(argv[i]);
+		    if (tmplen < 1)
+			usage(head_usage);
+		    len = tmplen;
+		    break;
 		case '-':
 		case 'h':
 		    usage(head_usage);
@@ -103,4 +105,4 @@ head_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: head.c,v 1.4 1999/12/17 18:52:06 erik Exp $ */
+/* $Id: head.c,v 1.5 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/internal.h b/internal.h
index 2b07d672d..b77feabad 100644
--- a/internal.h
+++ b/internal.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "busybox.def.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ extern int check_wildcard_match(const char* text, const char* pattern);
 extern long getNum (const char *cp);
 extern pid_t findInitPid();
 
-#if (__GLIBC__ < 2) && defined BB_SYSLOGD
+#if (__GLIBC__ < 2) && (defined BB_SYSLOGD || defined BB_INIT)
 extern int vdprintf(int d, const char *format, va_list ap);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/mkdir.c b/mkdir.c
index dc245a18e..017ef9b08 100644
--- a/mkdir.c
+++ b/mkdir.c
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 
-static const char mkdir_usage[] = "Usage: mkdir [OPTION] DIRECTORY...\n\n"
+static const char mkdir_usage[] =
+"mkdir [OPTION] DIRECTORY...\n\n"
 "Create the DIRECTORY(ies), if they do not already exist\n\n"
 "Options:\n"
 "\t-m\tset permission mode (as in chmod), not rwxrwxrwx - umask\n"
diff --git a/mount.c b/mount.c
index 713e5e850..709c7fc49 100644
--- a/mount.c
+++ b/mount.c
@@ -428,44 +428,42 @@ static int set_loop(const char *device, const char *file, int offset, int *loopr
 	loopinfo.lo_encrypt_key_size = 0;
 	if (ioctl(fd, LOOP_SET_FD, ffd) < 0) {
 		perror("ioctl: LOOP_SET_FD");
-		exit(1);
+		close(fd);
+		close(ffd);
+		return 1;
 	}
 	if (ioctl(fd, LOOP_SET_STATUS, &loopinfo) < 0) {
 		(void) ioctl(fd, LOOP_CLR_FD, 0);
 		perror("ioctl: LOOP_SET_STATUS");
-		exit(1);
+		close(fd);
+		close(ffd);
+		return 1;
 	}
 	close(fd);
 	close(ffd);
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static char *find_unused_loop_device (void)
+char *find_unused_loop_device (void)
 {
-    char dev[20];
-    int i, fd, somedev = 0, someloop = 0;
-    struct stat statbuf;
-    struct loop_info loopinfo;
+	char dev[20];
+	int i, fd;
+	struct stat statbuf;
+	struct loop_info loopinfo;
 
-    for(i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
-      sprintf(dev, "/dev/loop%d", i);
-      if (stat (dev, &statbuf) == 0 && S_ISBLK(statbuf.st_mode)) {
-	somedev++;
-	fd = open (dev, O_RDONLY);
-	if (fd >= 0) {
-	  if(ioctl (fd, LOOP_GET_STATUS, &loopinfo) == 0)
-	    someloop++; /* in use */
-	  else if (errno == ENXIO) {
-	    close (fd);
-	    return strdup(dev); /* probably free */
-	  }
-	  close (fd);
-        }
-	continue;
-      }
-      if (i >= 7)
-	break;
-    }
-    return NULL;
+	for(i = 0; i <= 7; i++) {
+		sprintf(dev, "/dev/loop%d", i);
+		if (stat (dev, &statbuf) == 0 && S_ISBLK(statbuf.st_mode)) {
+			if ((fd = open (dev, O_RDONLY)) >= 0) {
+				if(ioctl (fd, LOOP_GET_STATUS, &loopinfo) == -1 &&
+				   errno == ENXIO) { /* probably free */
+					close (fd);
+					return strdup(dev);
+				}
+				close (fd);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+        return NULL;
 }
 #endif /* BB_FEATURE_MOUNT_LOOP */
diff --git a/sfdisk.c b/sfdisk.c
index 5b67e69ab..5dc44eacc 100644
--- a/sfdisk.c
+++ b/sfdisk.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
 
 static const char sfdisk_usage[] =
-"Usage: sfdisk [options] device ...\n"
+"sfdisk [options] device ...\n"
 "device: something like /dev/hda or /dev/sda\n"
 "useful options:\n"
 "    -s [or --show-size]: list size of a partition\n"
@@ -2345,7 +2345,7 @@ sfdisk_main(int argc, char **argv) {
     char *unhidearg = 0;
 
     if (argc < 1)
-	usage( sfdisk_usage);
+	usage(sfdisk_usage);
 
     while ((c = getopt_long (argc, argv, short_opts, long_opts, NULL)) != -1) {
 	switch (c) {
@@ -2407,7 +2407,7 @@ sfdisk_main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	    verify = 1; break;
 	  case '?':
 	  default:
-	    usage( sfdisk_usage);
+	    usage(sfdisk_usage);
 
 	  /* undocumented flags */
 	  case 128:
@@ -2461,7 +2461,7 @@ sfdisk_main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	exit(exit_status);
     }
 
-    if (optind == argc) usage( sfdisk_usage);
+    if (optind == argc) usage(sfdisk_usage);
 
     if (opt_list || opt_out_geom || opt_size || verify) {
 	while (optind < argc) {
diff --git a/sort.c b/sort.c
index 0fe7bf99b..4df5627ac 100644
--- a/sort.c
+++ b/sort.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 static const char sort_usage[] =
-"Usage: sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
+"sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 ;
 
 /* typedefs _______________________________________________________________ */
@@ -309,4 +309,4 @@ sort_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: sort.c,v 1.8 1999/12/23 22:46:10 beppu Exp $ */
+/* $Id: sort.c,v 1.9 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index 21ef24dcb..aedb36a23 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static const char tar_usage[] =
 #else
 
 static const char tar_usage[] =
-"tar -[cxtvOf] [tarFileName] [FILE] ...\n\n"
+"tar -[xtvOf] [tarFileName] [FILE] ...\n\n"
 "Extract, or list files stored in a tar file.  This\n"
 "version of tar does not support creation of tar files.\n\n"
 "Options:\n"
diff --git a/umount.c b/umount.c
index af1b3a43e..9ad6f26c2 100644
--- a/umount.c
+++ b/umount.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static int del_loop(const char *device);
 #endif
 
 static const char umount_usage[] = 
-"Usage: umount [flags] filesystem|directory\n\n"
+"umount [flags] filesystem|directory\n\n"
 "Flags:\n"
 "\t-a:\tUnmount all file systems"
 #ifdef BB_MTAB
diff --git a/uniq.c b/uniq.c
index 034ea316e..a7bff54ec 100644
--- a/uniq.c
+++ b/uniq.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 static const char uniq_usage[] =
-"Usage: uniq [OPTION]... [INPUT [OUTPUT]]\n"
+"uniq [OPTION]... [INPUT [OUTPUT]]\n"
 "Discard all but one of successive identical lines from INPUT (or\n"
 "standard input), writing to OUTPUT (or standard output).\n"
 "\n"
@@ -193,4 +193,4 @@ uniq_main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(0);
 }
 
-/* $Id: uniq.c,v 1.4 2000/01/07 01:57:32 beppu Exp $ */
+/* $Id: uniq.c,v 1.5 2000/01/23 18:19:02 erik Exp $ */
diff --git a/util-linux/mount.c b/util-linux/mount.c
index 713e5e850..709c7fc49 100644
--- a/util-linux/mount.c
+++ b/util-linux/mount.c
@@ -428,44 +428,42 @@ static int set_loop(const char *device, const char *file, int offset, int *loopr
 	loopinfo.lo_encrypt_key_size = 0;
 	if (ioctl(fd, LOOP_SET_FD, ffd) < 0) {
 		perror("ioctl: LOOP_SET_FD");
-		exit(1);
+		close(fd);
+		close(ffd);
+		return 1;
 	}
 	if (ioctl(fd, LOOP_SET_STATUS, &loopinfo) < 0) {
 		(void) ioctl(fd, LOOP_CLR_FD, 0);
 		perror("ioctl: LOOP_SET_STATUS");
-		exit(1);
+		close(fd);
+		close(ffd);
+		return 1;
 	}
 	close(fd);
 	close(ffd);
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static char *find_unused_loop_device (void)
+char *find_unused_loop_device (void)
 {
-    char dev[20];
-    int i, fd, somedev = 0, someloop = 0;
-    struct stat statbuf;
-    struct loop_info loopinfo;
+	char dev[20];
+	int i, fd;
+	struct stat statbuf;
+	struct loop_info loopinfo;
 
-    for(i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
-      sprintf(dev, "/dev/loop%d", i);
-      if (stat (dev, &statbuf) == 0 && S_ISBLK(statbuf.st_mode)) {
-	somedev++;
-	fd = open (dev, O_RDONLY);
-	if (fd >= 0) {
-	  if(ioctl (fd, LOOP_GET_STATUS, &loopinfo) == 0)
-	    someloop++; /* in use */
-	  else if (errno == ENXIO) {
-	    close (fd);
-	    return strdup(dev); /* probably free */
-	  }
-	  close (fd);
-        }
-	continue;
-      }
-      if (i >= 7)
-	break;
-    }
-    return NULL;
+	for(i = 0; i <= 7; i++) {
+		sprintf(dev, "/dev/loop%d", i);
+		if (stat (dev, &statbuf) == 0 && S_ISBLK(statbuf.st_mode)) {
+			if ((fd = open (dev, O_RDONLY)) >= 0) {
+				if(ioctl (fd, LOOP_GET_STATUS, &loopinfo) == -1 &&
+				   errno == ENXIO) { /* probably free */
+					close (fd);
+					return strdup(dev);
+				}
+				close (fd);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+        return NULL;
 }
 #endif /* BB_FEATURE_MOUNT_LOOP */
diff --git a/util-linux/umount.c b/util-linux/umount.c
index af1b3a43e..9ad6f26c2 100644
--- a/util-linux/umount.c
+++ b/util-linux/umount.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static int del_loop(const char *device);
 #endif
 
 static const char umount_usage[] = 
-"Usage: umount [flags] filesystem|directory\n\n"
+"umount [flags] filesystem|directory\n\n"
 "Flags:\n"
 "\t-a:\tUnmount all file systems"
 #ifdef BB_MTAB
diff --git a/wc.c b/wc.c
index a1e2fca56..e69f0d899 100644
--- a/wc.c
+++ b/wc.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ static const char wc_usage[] = "wc [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n"
 "\t-c\tprint the byte counts\n"
 "\t-l\tprint the newline counts\n"
 "\t-L\tprint the length of the longest line\n"
-"\t-L\tprint the length of the longest line\n"
 "\t-w\tprint the word counts\n";
 
 static int total_lines, total_words, total_chars, max_length;