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diff --git a/public/arch-systemd.html b/public/arch-systemd.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8c5b705 --- /dev/null +++ b/public/arch-systemd.html @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <title>What Arch Linux's switch to systemd means for users — Luke T. Shumaker</title> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> + <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/style.css"> + <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" href="./index.atom" name="web log entries"/> +</head> +<body> +<header><a href="/">Luke T. Shumaker</a> » <a href=/blog>blog</a> » arch-systemd</header> +<article> +<h1 id="what-arch-linuxs-switch-to-systemd-means-for-users">What Arch +Linux’s switch to systemd means for users</h1> +<p>This is based on a post on <a +href="http://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/zoffo/systemd_we_will_keep_making_it_the_distro_we_like/c66nrcb">reddit</a>, +published on 2012-09-11.</p> +<p>systemd is a replacement for UNIX System V-style init; instead of +having <code>/etc/init.d/*</code> or <code>/etc/rc.d/*</code> scripts, +systemd runs in the background to manage them.</p> +<p>This has the <strong>advantages</strong> that there is proper +dependency tracking, easing the life of the administrator and allowing +for things to be run in parallel safely. It also uses “targets” instead +of “init levels”, which just makes more sense. It also means that a +target can be started or stopped on the fly, such as mounting or +unmounting a drive, which has in the past only been done at boot up and +shut down.</p> +<p>The <strong>downside</strong> is that it is (allegedly) big, +bloated<a href="#fn1" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref1" +role="doc-noteref"><sup>1</sup></a>, and does (arguably) more than it +should. Why is there a dedicated systemd-fsck? Why does systemd +encapsulate the functionality of syslog? That, and it means somebody is +standing on my lawn.</p> +<p>The <strong>changes</strong> an Arch user needs to worry about is +that everything is being moved out of <code>/etc/rc.conf</code>. Arch +users will still have the choice between systemd and SysV-init, but +rc.conf is becoming the SysV-init configuration file, rather than the +general system configuration file. If you will still be using SysV-init, +basically the only thing in rc.conf will be <code>DAEMONS</code>.<a +href="#fn2" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref2" +role="doc-noteref"><sup>2</sup></a> For now there is compatibility for +the variables that used to be there, but that is going away.</p> +<aside id="footnotes" class="footnotes footnotes-end-of-document" +role="doc-endnotes"> +<hr /> +<ol> +<li id="fn1"><p><em>I</em> don’t think it’s bloated, but that is the +criticism. Basically, I discount any argument that uses “bloated” +without backing it up. I was trying to say that it takes a lot of heat +for being bloated, and that there is be some truth to that (the +systemd-fsck and syslog comments), but that these claims are largely +unsubstantiated, and more along the lines of “I would have done it +differently”. Maybe your ideas are better, but you haven’t written the +code.</p> +<p>I personally don’t have an opinion either way about SysV-init vs +systemd. I recently migrated my boxes to systemd, but that was because +the SysV init scripts for NFSv4 in Arch are problematic. I suppose this +is another <strong>advantage</strong> I missed: <em>people generally +consider systemd “units” to be more robust and easier to write than SysV +“scripts”.</em></p> +<p>I’m actually not a fan of either. If I had more time on my hands, I’d +be running a <code>make</code>-based init system based on a research +project IBM did a while ago. So I consider myself fairly objective; my +horse isn’t in this race.<a href="#fnref1" class="footnote-back" +role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li> +<li id="fn2"><p>You can still have <code>USEDMRAID</code>, +<code>USELVM</code>, <code>interface</code>, <code>address</code>, +<code>netmask</code>, and <code>gateway</code>. But those are minor.<a +href="#fnref2" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li> +</ol> +</aside> + +</article> +<footer> + <aside class="sponsor"><p>I'd love it if you <a class="em" + href="/sponsor/">sponsored me</a>. It will allow me to continue + <a class="em" href="/imworkingon/">my work</a> on the GNU/Linux + ecosystem. Thanks!</p></aside> + +<p>The content of this page is Copyright © 2012 <a href="mailto:lukeshu@lukeshu.com">Luke T. Shumaker</a>.</p> +<p>This page is licensed under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA 4.0</a> license.</p> +</footer> +</body> +</html> |