Replace systemd with sysvinit

[bigtreeman]

Is there any appetite for a smaller, lighter release without systemd ?

Unfortunately it breaks some of armbian-config.

 

I use Devuan at times on my desktop and wanted Armbian for a light Arm64 server.

I found a Devuan based method to change over, but it is really simple in just Armbian

 

Replace systemd with SysV Init as the init system on Armbian Buster arm64 (nanopc-t4)

$ su -

# apt update
# apt upgrade
# apt purge policykit-1 (suggested by Devuan)
# apt autoremove
# apt install sysvinit-core

 

edit /etc/network/interfaces to include eth0
auto lo eth0
iface lo inet loopback
iface eth0 inet dhcp

 

# reboot
# apt purge systemd
# rm -rf /etc/systemd /lib/systemd
# reboot

 

now apt purge unwanted services

 

Parts of armbian-config are reliant on systemd

but there aren't any apt dependencies ???

 

nand-sata-install still works to both emmc and nvme

 

If you want to make the change stick, add systemd to your Apt preferences in /etc/apt/preferences.d/...

Package: systemd
Pin: release *
Pin-Priority: -1

 

 

 

more to test ...

 

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by bigtreeman

[lanefu]

not surprised armbian-config needs systemd for some tasks....  i'd go ahead and use like an armbian minimal image with that and keep things super light.

pretty cool!

[bigtreeman]

I doubt this would interest a virtual, trendy, young person with their head in the clouds,

but there's still a few old diehards, with a penchant for scripting.

Especially useful for devices with limited resources and getting the most out of a boxen.

 

[guidol]

@bigtreeman

Why not using a arm64 devuan image for a arm63 Server?

https://pkgmaster.devuan.org/devuan/dists/beowulf/main/installer-arm64/current/images/netboot/SD-card-images/

[arox]

For info, I managed to get rid of systemd on my raspbian desktop. I had to first install dbus-x11 because the dependencies would force half of packages removal.

 

Then installation of sysvinit-core do the trick and trigger install of libnih-dbus1, systemd-shim, libcgmanager0, libnih1, cgmanager and "pinned out" systemd.

 

You probably need to install : ntp and ntpdate and of-course I use a totally static network configuration. (No avahi, no networmanager, no dhcpcd ...)

 

Also, I needed to modify /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config because of DRM driver needing root uid of X server.

 

 

Of course, I do that sort of things only after reaching a stable configuration that I can maintain without support and with a good system backup !

[bigtreeman]

Debian doesn't directly support rk3399-nanopc-t4,dtb, u-boot does but not the kernel.

there's all sorts of issues with 5.x.x kernel rk3399-xxx.dtbs

OpenBSD uses dtb from 5.x.x linux kernel which is variously broken - usb3, hdmi, ......

Friendlyarm 4.4.x kernel has good support

Armbian 4.4.x seems to have the best of all worlds, and now I've found is simple to implement sysvinit

I'm now running far less daemons and background apps for a more targeted system.

[bigtreeman]

Thanx Arox, I've started with a legacy server image, I'll keep that in mind if I run up xorg and minimal window manager, is that systemd-shim, etc from Devuan repository ?

 

30 minutes ago, arox said:

For info, I managed to get rid of systemd on my raspbian desktop. I had to first install dbus-x11 because the dependencies would force half of packages removal.

 

Then installation of sysvinit-core do the trick and trigger install of libnih-dbus1, systemd-shim, libcgmanager0, libnih1, cgmanager and "pinned out" systemd.

 

You probably need to install : ntp and ntpdate and of-course I use a totally static network configuration. (No avahi, no networmanager, no dhcpcd ...)

 

Also, I needed to modify /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config because of DRM driver needing root uid of X server.

 

 

Of course, I do that sort of things only after reaching a stable configuration that I can maintain without support and with a good system backup !

 

a better solution for static network config is dhcp, with the router reserving ip addr for your client mac addr

[arox]

systemd-shim is provided by debian.

 

I do not know what may fail without it. (It is said to translate systemd helpers and anyway I have no use for automatic service start and stop on a personally administered system).

 

"dhcp, with the router reserving ip addr for your client mac addr"

 

Well, I am not sure there exists a "good solution". Anyway, I prefer editing a central repository than having (bugged) auto-configuration systems. Auto configuration is mandatory in some cases and a pain in the neck as soon as you have a problem and are not sure where it lies. That is why I removed systemd one more time (I kept it 3 months which is a record-breaking event for me). In this precise case, it is because the network interface needs sometimes a reset at boot (which stall the boot process), that the problem is known to happen in my case with D-link switches - and not handled of course ... I simply cannot patch systemd to resolve all mishappenings by editing meta-configuration files everywhere and praying it will convince systemd to resolve the problems disregarded by mainstream maintainers.

[bigtreeman]

Arox,

I feel your pain, If I was happy not looking under the bonnet systemd would be ok.

I found systemd-shim for jessie, stretch but not buster or sid, it broke a while ago. I'll experiment with sysvinit/xorg, but probably keep this one console/ssh.

My 'central repository' is the gateway/router which controls my local network. My view is the network is the centre, my workstation, servers and IoTs are only nodes.

I have 9 fixed ips for various devices around the home, it maintains sanity between different boxen feeding each other.

If you want control and your apps are available, try OpenBSD, very hands on, secure *nix, I still have to use Devuan for some cad/cam, but the rest in OpenBSD.

[arox]

"f you want control and your apps are available, try OpenBSD, very hands on, secure *nix ..."

 

I use a Gentoo system to concentrate and serve all network and security functions. This one would be a good candidate for OpenBSD.

 

But I never used an OpenBSD system. Not really a problem (I have used dozen of *nix systems and BSD was the first one) but I do not know on which SBC, light platform or appliance it could be easily installed (and reliable) ?