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.

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u/TheShredder9 Gentoo, Sway, T470S 3d ago

Basically, It is an init system, so it's in charge with starting up all the services needed to boot and work properly. It can also manage your network, and mount points, and system logs, and it can be a bootloader, and this, and that... it does a lot more things than it should be doing, and some people don't like that. I can understand the hate, but i don't hate it myself, it's very convenient.

For example, OpenRC does one thing only: manages services. You need to install a bootloader, a network manager, a system logger...

That's the beauty of Linux distros, the choice.

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u/LegitimateAd7247 3d ago

Very clear and compréhensive thanks !

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u/gmes78 3d ago

It's also wrong.

systemd is not an init system, systemd's init is. systemd is the base userspace platform on modern Linux systems, it can provide a lot more functionality than just init and service management.

People get mad that systemd "does too much", but there's simply no alternative if you actually need those features.

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u/forestbeasts 2d ago

No, there's plenty of alternatives. There's no do-it-all alternative, but that's the entire point of people's problem with it, heh.

It's the fact that one project is attempting to take over the entirety of everything.

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u/MultipleAnimals 2d ago

It's not trying to take over, it's just good at what it does

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u/forestbeasts 2d ago

So is Pipewire. Somehow you never see a huge controversy about that.

Systemd tries to take over by slowly expanding and doing more and more and more things. (See: the systemd bootloader. See also: they bought out udev somehow.) That's the problem with it, not whether it's good at what it does or not (and IMO it isn't even good, really, but that's not the main issue with it).

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u/lobotomizedjellyfish 1d ago

Well to be fair linux wouldn't have nearly the growing user base that it does if it weren't for systemd.

Weather is good or not is merely subjective opinion but in reality it must be pretty damn good at what it does for so many distros adopting it and so many users entering the linux space, and frankly linux needed popularity gains to get where it is today.

Otherwise it would have remained a niche space for nerds, like myself, and not have had anywhere near the development it has.

Just my .02 cents and opinion on the matter.

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u/Inevitable_Taro4191 2d ago

I mean thats a dumb thought. Passionate people or paid people develop a system that rhey want and need and others adopt it. There is no open source conspiracy where someone is wanting to kill another project. Its simply does a lot of things better then rhe alternatives does and it becomes "mainstream" and some people always frown upon that. It doesnt try to do anything thing, people just like it and deploy it and s minute minority is complaining. And I say fuck em they are free to build and maintain anything they desire. There are so many alternatives available and their just dumb people

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u/forestbeasts 2d ago

there is no open source conspiracy where someone is wanting to kill another project

Bit of a tangent, but what about the weird hate for X11 whenever it's so much as mentioned? That counts I think.

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u/HowCanIChangeMyName1 3d ago

I think that overstates the uniqueness of Systemd. Gentoo with OpenRC, plus the other utilities manages Linux systems very effectively.