[RndTbl] systemd - the saga continues

[Trevor Cordes]

We all know about the systemd controversy.  Whether you like it or not, if 
you use Linux, you're *all* going to be using systemd in the very near 
future.  Only a few fringe protest distros will not be using it.

I could write a whole diatribe^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H article about systemd, and 
I'm one of the few who doesn't actually hate it!  I've been using it 
(successfully) on all my (20+) systems for over 3 years (forced into it 
because of Fedora)!

Anyhow, I thought some would appreciate some insight into the systemd guy, 
Lennart, so you can make judgements about his character and whether he 
seems to a) understand UNIX philosophy and b) have the best of intentions 
(cheat sheet spoiler: no and no):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTdUmlGxVo0

Long video, but worth watching while you work on other things, to capture 
the spirit of the new malevolent overlord of Linux.

FYI, Lennart is one big walking ad hominem and non sequitur.  He relies on 
the fact that no one studies logical thinking anymore.  No, I doubt 
Wolfgang hates handicapped people.  In fact, I agree with almost 
everything Wolfgang says.  I think Lennart a) really doesn't get it, or b) 
works for Microsoft.

Did you know systemd has binary logs that are FORCED ON, and CAN'T BE 
DISABLED?  You have to jump through hoops to beg systemd to let you have 
your logs *duplicated* out to syslog.  Oh, want logwatch and logrotate to 
work on your binary systemd logs, tough luck.  Read enough flamewars (both 
sides, they seem about 50/50) and listen to Lennart and you see that some 
Linux people *really don't get it*.  They really don't understand why UNIX 
has worked well for 50 years.  It's old?  Must be bad!  Don't like change, 
well you are an old fuddy duddy resistant to change and don't matter.  
Change is good.  We're Microsoft now.

The more you read/see of systemd and Lennart the queasier feeling you get.  
He's sly, he's done the boil a frog trick and turned up the heat (feature 
creep) so slowly no one noticed until we were fried (every daemon is in 
systemd).

I think the one thing I love most about UNIX is that scripts I wrote in 
1991 still work right now, today, on my brand new modern distro.  And I 
use them.  And they are useful, and no I don't want to change them or 
rewrite them.  Try that with Windows.  Every other OS not only has you 
throw away your scripts, but half your hard-earned knowledge and speed 
because they want you to use a gesture and a charm instead of a start 
menu.  I want to repeat my efforts as little as possible: I want to always 
add new functionality.  I want the new WITHOUT throwing away the old.  
THAT is the UNIX way.  THAT is what Lennart doesn't get.

And I'm one of the few who doesn't hate systemd!  (Don't worry, though, 
I'm getting there...)

Also, OMG, so true, so funny, so sad:

http://adtmag.com/articles/2014/10/21/~/media/ECG/adtmag/Images/2014/01/systemd.png

(Overly long rant... sorry.  If you have any choice bits of Lennart 
antics, post them here in reply.)