Debate Init System To Use

This is a debate in the Essay Debating System about which init system Debian should choose as default. The tech-ctte has been invoked to decide on this topic, and asked for the different positions to be concisely summarized in debate pages.

Current Options

(These options are not in any particular order)

  1. sysvinit (status quo)

  2. systemd

  3. upstart

  4. openrc (not available in sid - ITP: 684396)

  5. One system on Linux, something else on non-linux
  6. multiple: commit to supporting two or more specific initsystems, such that choosing a default is less important, and at least one of them is available to every arch

Summary Table

Option / Question

sysvinit

systemd

upstart

openrc

Hurd support status

Full

Theoretically possible, huge work, would have to be Debian-specific at first

Theoretically possible, huge work

Should be easy

kFreeBSD support status

Full

Doesn’t sound realistic

Theoretically possible, huge work

Y

sysvinit files compatibility

Y

Y

Partial

Y

Service file format

SysV

unit (ini-like)

job (specific)

Runscripts

Socket activation support

N

Y

Partial

N

D-Bus activation support

N

Y + kdbus

?

N

logind interface

N

Y

Ubuntu patches ?

Reimplementation in progress (by whom?)

Reliable service/session shutdown

N

Y

N

Linux only

Service monitoring

N

Y

Y

Upstream working on using s6 for that

Open Questions

(These questions are not in any particular order)

  1. Transition plan
  2. Support for Hurd/kFreeBSD
  3. Support for init.d scripts
  4. Support for other systems
  5. ????

Mailing List Discussions

  1. x6mwrp7hfq.fsf@midna.zekjur.net

  2. 201305130155.10274.holger@layer-acht.org