Debian Gets Forked
Legendary Uber-distro splits over the systemd controversy.
A group of Debian developers have announced that they are forking the Debian source code to start a new Linux project, which they have dubbed Devuan (pronounced “DevOne” in English). The group, which calls itself the Veteran Unix Admin (VUA) collective, is alarmed about the drift of most major Linux distos toward the systemd service manager daemon. A service manager is the first process that starts on a Linux system, and it has the role of starting other processes. The init tool served as a universal service manager for Linux and for many Unix systems until recently, when several Linux vendors became concerned that the init code was too slow and not versatile enough for modern systems.
Fedora, Red Hat, and SUSE have all switched to using systemd instead of init. Ubuntu launched Upstart as an init alternative, but when the mainstream Debian project switched to systemd, Ubuntu, which is based on Debian code, adopted systemd also. Many developers, however, are concerned that systemd places restrictions on freedom and flexibility by making too many assumptions about the environment. They also say systemd doesn't work well with core Linux components such as Xorg. According to the Devuan developers, “We believe this situation is also the result of a longer process leading to the take-over of Debian by the Gnome project.”
Because so many other distros are built from the Debian codebase, changing Debian to systemd almost guarantees that many downstream distros will have to change with it. The Devuan developers say they want to offer an alternative for users, developers, and distributions that want to continue to support init.
Those who celebrate diversity and choice as important values for the Linux community will be happy to know that an init-based Debian alternative will continue. Those who express concern about the fragmentation and lack of standardization in Linux might be less enthusiastic.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.