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0 pointszobzu11y ago0 comments

so you're saying without systemd linux isnt linux.

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6 comments · 2 top-level

elehack11y ago· 3 in thread

Not quite.

I'm saying that systemd makes the Linux kernel's feature set and capabilities visibly usable from user-space. For (nearly) the first time, it feels like it matters that I'm using Linux.

Linux is still Linux without systemd, it just doesn't provide as much benefit (aside from device support and compatibility) over, say, FreeBSD without software that takes advantage of its feature set.

jude-11y ago

What stopped you from using Linux-specific features before systemd? They were accessible from userspace well before systemd came along.

elehack11y ago

The lack of documented software that used them to enable useful (to me) functionality.

I was using some of them, such as kvm for my virtualization and lvm for disk management. But systemd still had a substantial 'oh, wow, Linux lets process management be this easy and powerful?' factor, showing me something new that I hadn't seen in my use of any other system (FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows, a touch of Mac).

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brandonmenc11y ago

Setting up and running services like the OS does, but as non-root user, is kind of a big deal for my use case.

Perhaps I'm ignorant and this was always possible.

icantthinkofone11y ago· 1 in thread

systemd makes Linux not Unix.

pjmlp11y ago

There are so many things that make GNU/Linux not UNIX...

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