[systemd-bugs] [Bug 88570] New: systemd is malware

[bugzilla-daemon at freedesktop.org]

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=88570

            Bug ID: 88570
           Summary: systemd is malware
           Product: systemd
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: All
                OS: Linux (All)
            Status: NEW
          Severity: blocker
          Priority: medium
         Component: general
          Assignee: systemd-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
          Reporter: laserhawk64 at gmail.com
        QA Contact: systemd-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org

Malware is defined by Wikipedia as "...any software used to disrupt computer
operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer
systems."

Wikipedia goes on to characterize malware as software constructed with
malicious intent, and specifically requires it to "...[act] against the
requirements of the computer user...".

There are several init systems for Linux, including (but not limited to)
sysvinit, busybox-init, initng, Mudur, OpenRC, runit, and s6. All of these init
systems are satisfactory for providing the required functions of a Linux init
system; there is no need whatsoever for systemd. Put a little more bluntly:
systemd is unnecessary cruft.

There is no longer a pile of bugfix (etc) requests for systemd. The former pile
has instead blossomed into a rather sizable mountain range of truly remarkable
dimensions indeed... yet, from all reports, few if any of these issues,
problems, bugs, etc, have been addressed in any manner at all! (I'm sure that
this one will be given the same treatment... that said, "hope springs
eternal"...) The result is that systemd is profoundly schizophrenic in its
functionality -- where that functionality exists in the first place. This has
been quite nicely documented; all you need to find it is a simple Web search
(with your service of choice) for 'systemd'. I'll leave that as an exercise for
the readers, since the volume is *ahem* a little overwhelming for one person to
process. A trip through this very bugtracker's volumes of issues should be
quite revealing as well, for the record.

On top of all that, systemd is extremely complicated. Needlessly so. No other
init system, to my knowledge, is anywhere near as complicated. There is no
realistic reason for this kitchen-sink level of complication, particularly in
light of the *nix philosophy of 'programs should do one thing and do it well'.
systemd is a monolithic application and categorically antithetical to this
philosophy.

Further, Linux is about choice. For example, WMs/DEs. Some people prefer JWM.
Some people prefer LXDE, or IceWM, or GNOME 3, or MATE. (Personally, I'm an
XFCE4 kind of guy.) systemd effectively removes choice. If the major distros
all use systemd, along with most of the "little guys"... where does that leave
the user, in regards to choice of init?

I require, as a Linux user, my distro of choice to adhere to its principles.
Going off on a wild goose chase in search of some sort of "Monty Python"-esque
search for the Holy Grail of init systems is most certainly far outside my user
requirements. I'm not alone in that, as you will discover if you read the
profound quantities of information that explain in copious and painful detail
exactly how quixotic and misguided this effort really is.

Perfection has long been cited as the enemy of the good. systemd is trying to
be perfect. Is that really what you want?

If my choices are Linux with systemd, or Windows, or Mac... I'll take Windows
any day of the week.  I'm not alone, there, either... ;)

-- 
You are receiving this mail because:
You are the QA Contact for the bug.
You are the assignee for the bug.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/systemd-bugs/attachments/20150119/943ee305/attachment-0001.html>