Systemd

Basic Help & Support
#1

This may expose my poor understanding of the nuts and bolts of computing, but if you dont ask you dont learn. Right?

There seems to be an increasing number of people using void linux becasue is doesnt use systemd.

Can someone please explain to me, what is systemd and what is actually wrong with it? In leymans terms I mean.

Its something to do with how the system boots isn’t it?

And should I care?

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#2

@philT I think the easiest way to picture systemd is if you recall the original Wizard of Oz… Toward the end of the movie, it was revealed a man behind the oz persona, pulling all the levers and flicking all the switches. That’s basically what it is. It unifies and provides basic control from boot, starting daemons, time keeping, basic system configuration… You name it. Just about everything.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd

Additionally, many don’t like it because they feel it intrudes upon their perception of principles regarding freedom within the Linux world. I think most haven’t accepted it because we resist change. Evolution is
is change and I for one, have always appreciated opposable thumbs. :grin: Although, still having a prehensile tail would really come in handy at times :sunglasses:

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#3

The homepage gives a good overview of systemd:

https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/

The case for:

https://grml.org/faq/#systemd

The case against:

https://suckless.org/sucks/systemd/

Personally, I prefer to use something simpler but I do enjoy the functionality.

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#4

I’ve also read that they choose to implement something with systemd (was it glibc over something else ?) and that they are some supposition on the fact that it could be not only tech-related choice…
Plus the whole “cia could enter you system”.

Never thought about it much, at the moment it works good enough for me.

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#5

@gazeka74

Nothing s imposible in our world now.

#6

Thanks for the great response @anon37345411

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#7

Thanks @Head_on_a_Stick.

I’ll read through those links now.

#8

The easiest demonstration of how systemd, it’s like BIOS or UEFI to the computer system upon booting. Systemd tells linux how to boot up and what packages are needed to run.

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#9

Yes on that statement. Also the paranoia regarding the CIA. Its amazing what people create in their minds, without much proof.

I like systemd and the journal and the CIA can collect all my info. In the end they will be thinking: “Not much here, he’s not worth it” :laughing:

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#10

benefits of runnit

there use to be a really good article in the “news” section of the Void site on why they switched from systemd to runnit. You might be able to find it in the news archives.

Void originally started as one of (if not the) first distros to be systemd only - no sysVinit fallback. That was actually one of the reasons I first tried it - curiosity mostly. Tried it for a while, then back to Debian based distros. Went back to it when they switched to runnit.

#11

You should always care - a little bit anyway; complacency is how you get 800-pound gorillas like MS sleeping on your couch and drinking your beer.

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#12

I have a machine with Void on because is a well done distro, runnit is an extra bonus, of course.
I have my privacy compromised enough already to care about what harm systemd can do…
No worries, is not contagious.
I think

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#13

@verndog I won’t say government or corporate intrusion on my privacy and that of my family doesn’t trouble me, it does and I wouldn’t think of suggesting how others prioritize their personal concerns but thankfully, I do have far more pressing matters on my worry list.

#14

There is a lot of nonsense spouted by the detractors, the project leader issued a rebuttal on his blog:

http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-biggest-myths.html

There also seem to be a lot of personal attacks on Mr. Poettering but I have dealt with the man directly and I found him to be entirely excellent, the team fixed the reported bug very quickly:

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#15

^ Informative blog I hadn’t seen before.

In the end, people will and should use what they feel most comfortable with. Personally, I’ve never had a single issue since the implementation of systemd and if anything, feel it’s made my user experience better. Although not naive, it would exhaust me to see conspiracy behind every door.

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#16

Me neither, that’s why I have been surprised at the distaste for systemd.

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#17

Nice blogs. Thanks for sharing !!

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#18

Thanks Head for reporting all this. I read your report and Pottering’s replies. One has to be thick skin to put up with , “who knows what”; change, myths, voodoo, wrong assumptions, etc.

#19

I haven’t ran into any issues with systemd neither. In fact I think it makes things easier and more stable. @anon37345411 I thought you live for conspiracies! Like this one: did you know…

#20

That’s how I feel.

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