[tombert]

If you need to make sure that the network stack starts after the usb stack and that starts after the pcie stack and that starts after the … then systemd is considerably easier than SysV init.

You’re handwaving away something that is pretty important. You can say that having 500 services is its own problem but it’s also a reality, even on desktop operating systems.

[rootnod3]

Count how many services you have that are not already defined by the system itself in its order? So, remove core system services. System itself should already make sure that USB starts after PCIE and all that.

So go and count all the services that are not base install and tell me how many you have.