Hello,

The following text file describes the procedure:
(replacing Debian's Gnome desktop (default) with Devuan's Gnome)

apt-get install emacs-nox
apt-get install net-tools
emacs ~srs/.bashrc
+ export PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin
source ~srs/.bashrc
ifconfig
ens3 ...

Remove all entries of debian.
emacs /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged beowulf main
deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged beowulf-security main
deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged beowulf-updates main
deb http://deb.devuan.org/devuan beowulf-proposed main
wget
https://pkgmaster.devuan.org/devuan/pool/main/d/devuan-keyring/devuan-keyring_2017.10.03_all.deb
dpkg -i devuan-keyring_2017.10.03_all.deb

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade (not as good idea)
apt-get dist-upgrade

The following packages will be REMOVED:
chrome-gnome-shell colord dbus-user-session gdm3 gnome gnome-color-
manager
gnome-control-center gnome-core gnome-music gnome-session
gnome-settings-daemon gnome-shell gnome-shell-extensions gnome-
software
gnome-tweaks gstreamer1.0-packagekit iio-sensor-proxy libnss-systemd
libpam-systemd network-manager network-manager-gnome packagekit
packagekit-tools plymouth plymouth-label policykit-1 rtkit systemd
systemd-sysv task-gnome-desktop
The following NEW packages will be installed:
ant ant-contrib ant-optional atril atril-common ca-certificates-java
cinnabar-icon-theme clearlooks-phenix-cinnabar-theme cups-common
debian-pulseaudio-config-override default-jre default-jre-headless
dmz-cursor-theme eudev exo-utils firebird3.0-common firebird3.0-
common-doc
firebird3.0-server-core firebird3.0-utils fonts-crosextra-caladea
fonts-crosextra-carlito fonts-liberation fonts-mathjax fonts-symbola
gnome-extra-icons gnome-icon-theme gstreamer1.0-alsa gtk2-engines
gtk2-engines-xfce gtk3-nooverlayscrollbar hddtemp initscripts insserv
java-common libactivation-java libaopalliance-java libapache-poi-java
libapache-pom-java libargs4j-java libasm-java libatinject-jsr330-api-
java
libatk-wrapper-java libatk-wrapper-java-jni libatrildocument3
libatrilview3
libbase-java libbcmail-java libbcpkix-java libbcprov-java libcaja-
extension1
libcdi-api-java libcglib-java libcodemodel-java libcommons-cli-java
libcommons-codec-java libcommons-collections3-java
libcommons-collections4-java libcommons-compress-java libcommons-io-
java
libcommons-lang3-java libcommons-logging-java libcommons-math3-java
libcommons-parent-java libcurvesapi-java libdom4j-java libdtd-parser-
java
libehcache-java libel-api-java libeudev1 libexo-1-0 libexo-2-0
libexo-common
libexo-helpers libfastinfoset-java libfbclient2 libflute-java
libfonts-java
libformula-java libgail-common libgail18 libgarcon-1-0 libgarcon-
common
libgeronimo-annotation-1.3-spec-java libgeronimo-interceptor-3.0-
spec-java
libglade2-0 libgtk2.0-0 libgtk2.0-bin libgtk2.0-common libguava-java
libguice-java libhawtjni-runtime-java libhsqldb1.8.0-java
libhttpclient-java
libhttpcore-java libib-util libicu4j-java libintellij-annotations-
java
libistack-commons-java libitext-java libjansi-java libjansi-native-
java
libjaxb-api-java libjaxb-java libjaxen-java libjcommon-java libjdom1-
java
libjetbrains-annotations-java libjpeg-turbo-progs libjs-mathjax
libjsoup-java libjsp-api-java libjsr305-java libkeybinder-3.0-0
liblayout-java libloader-java liblog4j1.2-java libmail-java
libmaven-file-management-java libmaven-parent-java libmaven-resolver-
java
libmaven-shared-io-java libmaven-shared-utils-java libmaven3-core-
java
libnotify-bin libpentaho-reporting-flow-engine-java libpixie-java
libplexus-archiver-java libplexus-cipher-java libplexus-classworlds-
java
libplexus-component-annotations-java libplexus-interpolation-java
libplexus-io-java libplexus-sec-dispatcher-java libplexus-utils2-java
libpq5
libqrencode4 librelaxng-datatype-java libreoffice-base
libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-java-common libreoffice-report-
builder
libreoffice-report-builder-bin libreoffice-sdbc-firebird
libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb libreoffice-sdbc-postgresql librepository-
java
librngom-java libsac-java libsaxonhe-java libserializer-java
libservlet-api-java libservlet3.1-java libsisu-guice-java
libsisu-inject-java libsisu-ioc-java libsisu-plexus-java libslf4j-
java
libsnappy-java libsnappy-jni libstax-ex-java libstreambuffer-java
libthunarx-3-0 libtommath1 libtumbler-1-0 libturbojpeg0 libtxw2-java
libunique-1.0-0 libwagon-http-java libwagon-provider-api-java
libwebsocket-api-java libwnck-common libwnck22 libxerces2-java
libxfce4panel-2.0-4 libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4ui-2-0 libxfce4ui-common
libxfce4ui-utils libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util7
libxfconf-0-2 libxml-commons-external-java libxml-commons-
resolver1.1-java
libxml-java libxmlbeans-java libxnvctrl0 libxom-java libxsom-java
libxz-java
lm-sensors mousepad openjdk-11-jre openjdk-11-jre-headless parole
pavucontrol ristretto startpar sysv-rc sysvinit-core tango-icon-theme
thunar
thunar-archive-plugin thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-
volman
tumbler tumbler-common xfburn xfce4 xfce4-appfinder xfce4-battery-
plugin
xfce4-clipman xfce4-clipman-plugin xfce4-cpufreq-plugin
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-datetime-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-
diskperf-plugin
xfce4-fsguard-plugin xfce4-genmon-plugin xfce4-goodies
xfce4-mailwatch-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes xfce4-notes-
plugin
xfce4-notifyd xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-manager
xfce4-power-manager-data xfce4-power-manager-plugins xfce4-
pulseaudio-plugin
xfce4-screenshooter xfce4-sensors-plugin xfce4-session xfce4-settings
xfce4-smartbookmark-plugin xfce4-systemload-plugin xfce4-taskmanager
xfce4-terminal xfce4-timer-plugin xfce4-verve-plugin xfce4-wavelan-
plugin
xfce4-weather-plugin xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin xfce4-xkb-plugin xfconf
xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4 xscreensaver xscreensaver-data
The following packages have been kept back:
gir1.2-polkit-1.0 libpolkit-agent-1-0 libpolkit-backend-1-0
libpolkit-gobject-1-0
The following packages will be upgraded:
base-files bsdutils colord-data dbus dbus-x11 desktop-base distro-
info-data
fdisk gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 init init-system-helpers libblkid1
libcolord2 libcolorhug2 libdbus-1-3 libfdisk1 libmount1
libpackagekit-glib2-18 libpcsclite1 libprocps7 libsmartcols1 libudev1
libudisks2-0 libuuid1 mount net-tools procps python3-reportbug
reportbug
rsyslog sysvinit-utils task-british-desktop task-desktop task-english
task-ssh-server tasksel tasksel-data udev udisks2 util-linux
util-linux-locales
41 upgraded, 253 newly installed, 30 to remove and 4 not upgraded.
Need to get 183 MB of archives.
After this operation, 443 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Removing systemd (241-7~deb10u7) ...
systemd is the active init system, please switch to another before
removing systemd.
apt --fix-broken install
The following additional packages will be installed:
elogind gir1.2-polkit-1.0 initscripts insserv libelogind0 libpam-
elogind
libpolkit-agent-1-0 libpolkit-backend-elogind-1-0
libpolkit-gobject-elogind-1-0 packagekit packagekit-tools policykit-1
startpar sysv-rc sysvinit-core
The following packages will be REMOVED:
iio-sensor-proxy libnss-systemd libsystemd0 systemd
The following NEW packages will be installed:
elogind initscripts insserv libelogind0 libpam-elogind
libpolkit-backend-elogind-1-0 libpolkit-gobject-elogind-1-0
packagekit
policykit-1 startpar sysv-rc sysvinit-core
The following packages will be upgraded:
gir1.2-polkit-1.0 libpolkit-agent-1-0 packagekit-tools
3 upgraded, 12 newly installed, 4 to remove and 41 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 1,954 kB/2,352 kB of archives.
After this operation, 6,354 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Removing systemd (241-7~deb10u7) ...
systemd is the active init system, please switch to another before
removing systemd.
Manual FIX:
dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/sysvinit-core_2.93-8+devuan1_amd64.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/initscripts_2.93-8+devuan1_amd64.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/sysv-rc_2.93-8+devuan1_all.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/insserv_1.18.0-2_amd64.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/startpar_0.61-1_amd64.deb
Alternately:
mkdir sysvinit
cd sysvinit
apt-get download sysvinit-core initscripts sysv-rc inssserv startpar
dpkg -i *.deb
cd ..
<reboot> <now running sysvinit-core>
apt --fix-broken install
The following additional packages will be installed:
elogind libpam-elogind libpolkit-backend-elogind-1-0 packagekit
packagekit-tools policykit-1
The following packages will be REMOVED:
systemd
The following NEW packages will be installed:
elogind libpam-elogind libpolkit-backend-elogind-1-0 packagekit
policykit-1
The following packages will be upgraded:
packagekit-tools
1 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 1 to remove and 41 not upgraded.
4 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/1,639 kB of archives.
After this operation, 6,832 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
apt-get upgrade
The following packages have been kept back:
desktop-base libcolord2 libudev1 udev util-linux
The following packages will be upgraded:
colord colord-data dbus dbus-x11 distro-info-data fdisk
gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 init init-system-helpers libblkid1
libcolorhug2
libdbus-1-3 libfdisk1 libmount1 libpackagekit-glib2-18 libpcsclite1
libpolkit-backend-1-0 libpolkit-gobject-1-0 libprocps7 libsmartcols1
libudisks2-0 libuuid1 mount net-tools procps python3-reportbug
reportbug
rsyslog sysvinit-utils task-british-desktop task-desktop task-english
task-ssh-server tasksel tasksel-data util-linux-locales
36 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
Need to get 217 kB/6,334 kB of archives.
After this operation, 2,100 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
dpkg -l|grep udev
<no eudev yet>
apt-get dist-upgrade
The following NEW packages will be installed:
cinnabar-icon-theme clearlooks-phenix-cinnabar-theme dmz-cursor-theme
eudev
gnome-extra-icons gnome-icon-theme gtk2-engines gtk3-
nooverlayscrollbar
libeudev1
The following packages will be upgraded:
desktop-base libcolord2 libudev1 udev util-linux
5 upgraded, 9 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/19.4 MB of archives.
After this operation, 22.6 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
<reboot>
Network-manager is still installed:
ifconfig
eth0 ...
less /etc/network/interfaces
<no eth0>
AND gnome is the desktop:
ii gdm3
apt-get install task-gnome-desktop
The following additional packages will be installed:
gnome gnome-core gnome-logs gstreamer1.0-packagekit network-manager-
gnome
Suggested packages:
alacarte empathy gnome-remote-desktop goobox | sound-juicer polari
webext-ublock-origin firefox-esr-l10n-all | firefox-l10n-all
network-manager-openconnect-gnome network-manager-openvpn-gnome
network-manager-vpnc-gnome network-manager-pptp-gnome
The following NEW packages will be installed:
gnome gnome-core gnome-logs gstreamer1.0-packagekit network-manager-
gnome
task-gnome-desktop
0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 1,599 kB of archives.
After this operation, 7,428 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
<reboot>
<login OK to gdm3/gnome>
<desktop screensaver login is locked up>
<very slow response>
<reboot> Does not shut down :(

But who cares about running gnome, especially in Devuan? I for one
would not try it: We have xfce, mate, etc desktops that are more
useful.E.g. apt-get install task-mate-desktop will solve the above
problems and you can forget about gnome! In case you are interested in
Gnome, you can continue from here!