Linux: concerns over systemd [OT]

Wed Oct 22 21:17:14 UTC 2014

On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 3:34 PM, Randy Bush <randy at psg.com> wrote:
>> the vast majority of negative tongue wagging regarding systemd is ill
>> informed.
>
> can we skip the ad homina and leave that for the systemd dev fora?

I don't think that it's an ad homina attack, as it's pretty clear that
many of the people commenting have not spent a significant time using
systemd so many of their comments are based on what they've read on
the Internet, not from practical experience with systemd.

>> does systemd have growing pains? definitely. are some egos involved?
>> sure. can systemd be far reaching? yes, is such reach mandated?
>> no. use the units you want and disregard the rest.
>
> how does this work out in practice?  at install, can i choose whether
> systemd is used for X as opposed for the separate component?  can i
> template such choices for cluster deployment with the usual tools?

I think that Debian's plan to allow multiple init systems
(irregardless of which one is default) is a bad plan.  The non-default
ones won't get any love - at some point they'll just stop working (or
indeed, work at all).

Allowing choice of components is a good thing at one level (e.g.
sendmail vs. postfix vs. exim).  I really don't care (and don't really
even remeber) which SMTP server is installed by default on my systems
because my configuration management system makes sure that the SMTP
server that I prefer is installed and configured the way I want it
once the system is up and running.

For something like PID 1, each distribution should make a choice and
stick with it.  I really couldn't care what Debian's init system is,
as I don't use Debian (never have, at least not when I have had a
choice).  If Debian goes through with the switch to systemd, they
won't gain me as a user as there are a host of other reasons that I
prefer something other than Debian (or Debian-derived) distributions.

If a group of people fork Debian because of systemd, more power to them.

-- 
Jeff Ollie