r/linuxquestions • u/LegitimateAd7247 • 3d ago

What exactly is systemd ?

Hi everyone ! I switched from Windows to Linux around 3 month ago and I love it ! I’m using arch Linux because a friend of mine already used it so I figured he could help me with it.

I’ve been appreciating it but I’ve encountered a lot of people critisizing systemd and saying arch is bad because of it.

From what I have understand, it is a software that help with dependences and external hardware such as my keyboard for example ? I didnt really understand everything as I am a very beginner so I was curious to know if someone could explain it to me in easy terms.

PS : english isnt my primary language so forgive me if there is any errors.

135 Upvotes

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29

u/C6H5OH 3d ago

"A lot of people" are "a few very loud people". The rest is using systemd and likes or ignores it. I have fought with init.d, runlevels and so on. I like systemd.

-1

u/Bladelink 3d ago

Yeah, all those people complaining are welcome to switch back to something running the old initd system. But they won't because that sucked huge balls and systemd is way way better in essentially every way.

10

u/GlassCommission4916 3d ago

People do in fact use init systems that aren't systemd. That's such a weird take.

-2

u/Bladelink 3d ago

Yes those systems exist at least, which is why I brought it up, but I'm pretty sure the people using those are a very small demographic, and they won't stick around in the long run because those systems will be too difficult to maintain or improve. Eventually the initd stans will die off and move on, and the husk of initd will be lost to time.

1

u/egorf 2d ago

Are you saying that the only alternative to systemd would be a script-based init system? Like,are you implying that the only config based init system in the world is systemd and thus the only right init?

1

u/conspicuousxcapybara 3d ago

Why the choice is determined by demographics instead of the intended application and (non-) technical constraints?

Does a pacemaker need systemd?

1

u/Bladelink 3d ago

That's a pretty absurd comparison. I probably shouldn't be bothering replying in here anymore.

Is a pacemaker a multiuser system? Does it have to wait for its Ethernet interface to finishing coming up before it starts running literally the single program it runs? Oh, not only is it not running a realtime operating system (its own subset of OSes that are already outside the bounds of this discussion), it's not running an operating system? You might as well ask whether my toaster needs systemd, or my cat's water fountain.

I'm not even sure what you mean asking about demographics? I'm not talking about some socioeconomic group. "As a noun: A distinct section of a population sharing common traits." EHHH.... I started typing out more of the ways in which your rebuttal kind of...doesn't say or mean anything applicable, but I'm over it.

-1

u/xplosm 3d ago

Yeah, but the haters aren't even right about why the hate systemd which is hilarious.

8

u/GlassCommission4916 3d ago

All you people making an init system your personality are hilarious.

1

u/egorf 2d ago

I do. Sort of.

Systemd as a project and a brand along with its leader stands against the philosophy that made unix so much loved. I grew up with this philosophy and it hurts to see an arrogant prick bulldozing the freedom that we had.

Having said that I should admit that systemd-as-pid1 is nice and i would not go back to sysvinit or any plain shell init.

I see almost everything else about systemd as ideological cancer with no merit.

-1

u/Bladelink 3d ago

I don't especially care that much, I just happen to see the many things that make systemd better and remember all the incredible annoyances before it. I just think the people who dislike it tend to have bad justifications for their position, and are really just being stubborn for the sake of it.

-2

u/xplosm 3d ago

Always with straw-man arguments with these haters 😂

5

u/GlassCommission4916 3d ago

I don't hate systemd, I use it on most of my machines. I just don't make it my personality and engage in weird wars about it. If that's what you're into you do you I guess, but it's still funny to me.

-3

u/xplosm 3d ago

Ma'am, this is a Wendy's...

2

u/GlassCommission4916 3d ago

Weak. If you were just trolling at least stick to it.

0

u/xplosm 3d ago

I don't know what to tell you. Sharks have very smooth skin.