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by jkxyz 3782 days ago
How practical is it to run a simplified init program like this instead of systemd for a desktop Linux system?

It feels like as a Linux user one has to make the choice between software freedom (and software ethics) and an easily maintained, attractive desktop experience. As a Fedora user, I'm very used to GNOME and all of the comforts that it provides, but I'd consider switching to Gentoo sans systemd for the sake of making a stand against bad practice in the software community.
4 comments
pdkl95 3782 days ago
> How practical is it

Very? Contrary to the popular meme that suggests that systemd is required for features like automounting hotplugged hardware or roaming network configurations were possible a decade before systemd. Several pre-systemd distros even handled a lot of the work for you automagically, though the UI for some tools wasn't the best (or, rarely, was missing).

> I'm very used to GNOME

That's another matter, unfortunately. GNOME is firmly in the systemd-only, "screw portability"/"it's not a regression when we removing working code because it's 'old'" camp.

That said, Gentoo has implemented a workaround[1]. I haven't tried it (I still use enlightenment DR16), so I don't know if the workaround involves any loss of features, but that might be worth investigating. The install process appears to be a typical level of work for Gentoo.

edit: oops - forgot the URL

[1] https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1022050.html

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ianlevesque 3782 days ago
Probably easier to just use another operating system like FreeBSD if you don't like the direction the Linux ecosystem is heading. There are some great alternatives out there.
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lfam 3782 days ago
How does systemd violate your freedom? It's LGPL 2.1 and, as far as I know, respects the four freedoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Free_Software_Definition
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nitrogen 3782 days ago
If Emacs is an example of cathedral-style development, and Linux is an example of bazaar-style development, then Systemd is turnpike-style development, steamrolling ahead against all objections and the better interests of the communities they bulldoze.

That's not a violation of the LGPL, but it is a betrayal of the community it represents.

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mntmn 3781 days ago
I use Void Linux at work fulltime for 2 months now and it's very lean and stable, using runit as init. xbps had 99% of the packages I needed.
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