On Fri, 30 Jun 2017 21:45:23 +0200
Joachim Fahrner <jf@???> wrote:

> Am 2017-06-30 19:16, schrieb Steve Litt:
>
> > Would it be possible for you to install OpenRC from upstream
> > source? I know that's easily doable with runit or s6, but I know
> > little about OpenRC.
>
> I'm wondering why there are lots of discussions about init systems.
> What is wrong with sysv init? My notebook is booting (from ssd)
> within 8 seconds. Nothing I would complain about.

sysvinit works, always has. It's a good, workable init system. And it's
for certain better than systemd unless 99% of your priority is boot
time.

Now let me explain why I personally prefer runit instead of sysvinit...

* sysvinit requires those gigantic and messy init scripts, whereas
runit requires only a 10 line run script, give or take.

* sysvinit depends on PID files that can make things go wrong in
difficult to understand ways. Runit has no PID files.

* With runit, if you write a daemon program, your daemon program
doesn't need to background itself nor tell the init system that it's
ready.

* I find runit more adaptable to varied usages than sysvinit.

* With runit, I can look in one directory and easily see all my
daemons, with easy names that don't look like S50-whatever

* Runit's sv command does all the stuff needed by the five mandatory
sections of a sysvinit script.

* Runit doesn't require the commented out special numbers and stuff
that sysvinit init scripts do.

* Runit is much less than thirty two years old. Although both you and I
know sysvinit's age doesn't make it one micron less competent, it's
much easier to argue that runit is better than systemd rather than
arguing that sysvinit is better than systemd. This benefit, of
course, is purely rhetoric and political, and in fact I think
sysvinit is MUCH better than systemd.

* It's really a matter of personal preference, and it's easy to switch
between sysvinit and runit.

By the way, everything I said about runit goes equally for the s6 init
system.




--
SteveT

Steve Litt
June 2017 featured book: The Key to Everyday Excellence
http://www.troubleshooters.com/key