---
title: 'a "love" letter to systemd'
date: 2026-03-24
subtitle: 'a rant on how systemd is trash.'
---

[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemd) describes systemd as a software suite for system and service management on Linux. In other words, an init system that bootstraps Linux and manages your services. However systemd is a LOT more.

## THE BLOAT

The systemd project isn't just an init system. It manages DNS via resolvectl. It has a bootloader (systemd-boot). It stores info on users, and recently started storing user provided birth dates to try to comply with the new OS-level verification bills in places like California.
This is just opposite to the UNIX philosophy: Do one thing and do it well.

systemd also absorbed udev and made it incompatible with other init systems. This lead Gentoo to develop a fork called eudev.

## THE EVIL

So what if it violates the UNIX philosophy? Who cares?

I think that not caring about the UNIX philosophy is totally okay. But systemd seems to be trying to obtain a monopoly (which will not happen).

systemd contributors tried and tried to push systemd specific code into other FOSS software. We're talking big stuff. GNOME, for example.

## SECURITY

I'm not aware of any vulnerabilities in systemd but I am aware of one concept: the more code you have, the bigger the chance of vulnerabilities.

## WTF DO I DO

Just get a non-systemd distro.

If you're on Arch Linux check out [Artix](https://artixlinux.org)
If you like Debian check out [Devuan](https://devuan.org)

Check out [nosystemd](https://nosystemd.org/) for more info.