Hi!

Did someone actually look what this new userdb stuff is about?

https://systemd.io/USER_RECORD/

I did not read through all of it, but I noticed the length of that
document.


It is a bit like the Systemd network device naming.

For RHEL they have a chapter in networking guide about it with 8 sections.
It think it was even more than 10 sections in earlier versions. A reason
may be it it may be not supported to switch to the old style naming
anymore so they may have dropped that from documentation.

https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/
configuring_and_managing_networking/consistent-network-interface-device-
naming_configuring-and-managing-networking

But really: Are you even kidding me?

I get that naming eth0 / eth1 / eth2 in (e)udev / mdev may give clash with
kernel device naming as network drivers scan in parallel for network
devices. But they overdid it. Quite so.

There is such a plethora for a lot more simple approaches to network
devices. The could have just gone "en1", "en2", "en3" and pin to MAC
addresses on first appearance.


So what do you think, did they overdo it with that userdb as well? Or do
you think it is a good idea? Or somewhere in between?

I am worried about mixing all that complexity into low level software.
That is probably my main concern. I do accept some complexity in powerful
desktop environments and GUI based applications, but I prefer it to run on
a simple and robust base. However… Systemd mixes it all in. What PID 1 is
doing on Systemd based systems… no. I don't think it is a good idea. May
be they separated userdb out a bit. But from a first glance at above link
my bet it is all integrated deeply.


Well… the Linux kernel is not that either anymore. A simple and robust
base. Not for desktop systems with tons of different modern hardware.

The amount of issues I experienced with the Linux kernel in the last
years… ridiculous. Especially about hibernation. Meanwhile I shutdown my
main laptop instead of hibernating it. Cause it is simply no use.
Hibernation is broken on so many of my ThinkPad's it is not even funny
anymore. On some like my music laptop I just use the last known working
kernel and don't care about any security fixes in later kernel versions.
On others I shutdown and boot again. The amount of times I have seen the
Linux kernel breaking older hardware… concerning. And new hardware? May
work or not work, depending on whether you are lucky.

I do look at what Redox people are doing. Or that SculptOS approach by
Genode. And one time I hope I will have my DE running on a micro kernel. A
kernel that can forcefully shutdown a misbehaving driver. A kernel I feel
in control again. Oh… and open hardware and free software firmware… but
this is miles away at the moment, unfortunately.

I used QNX Neutrino RTOS for a brief while. That was close to it. I have
never again seen that reliability and dependability. It was so much beyond
what Linux can provide, even back then, in terms of stability and
reliability… but then it is no free software.

Best,
--
Martin