: mailing list problems WAS: Re: : No systemd discussion?

Giles Orr <[email protected]> Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:52:59 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.org.user-groups.linux.tolug
Message-ID <CAEnxSC7Bt_-QsJ-sxmYMv7VAmwtLiW77FSDYibj33vugNVDNTA@mail.gmail.com>
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This is the second systemd thread message I've seen that is a response to
Peter (the first being Jamon's response, which started the thread for me).
I never received either message from Peter.  I have no idea why not, but I
have to hope that the move to the new mail server is coming soon and will
solve these problems.

On 18 August 2014 10:33, Lennart Sorensen <lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/[email protected]>
wrote:

> On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 07:11:34AM +0000, Peter wrote:
> > Let's be honest (warning: I am into VERY small systems which probably
> have
> > no room for systemd - but see below):
> >
> > The scripts are not the problem. The problem is the daemons and other
> things
> > they start/stop, which can be programmed in ways which make them
> > nonresponsive for a variety of reasons. init(1) has a sane way to cope
> with
> > runaway processes, by making them sleep for a bit if they go insane.
> Zombies
> > should be dealt with by process group mechanisms which exist, but are not
> > used by anyone. It is really easy to write a bit of code which registers
> > "children to be killed in case of process group leader demise" perhaps
> > directly into /var/run/thedaemon.pid files, to be used by a slightly
> modded
> > init(1) when a process dies or runs away.
> >
> > Adding systemd is not going to change that. A daemon that dies repeatedly
> > very quickly will have to be "quarantined" for a while. systemd will not
> fix
> > the underlying problem, which is certain daemons are not high quality and
> > robust. Using systemd to "fix" them is, imho, barking up the wrong tree.
> >
> > What systemd *could* have done, is to replace the need for sh(1) and
> init(1)
> > in small systems assuming it would have some sort of shell or smnp
> interface
> > for control from a shell-less terminal, serial line, or network
> connection.
> > It would also have to be rather good at doing system things to replace sh
> > and init in size, so sh(1) would not be needed at all, as those 2
> together
> > are fairly small (assuming ash or another startup sh compatible shell is
> > used), and do a LOT of things besides running sysv init scripts.
> >
> > The way it is now, I see systemd as an unneeded complication which will
> > break many many things before starting to work "right" for most people.
> And
> > by most people I explicitly exclude "ready made" distribution users a la
> > ubuntu etc., who are end users, and, who, by their own (!) definition,
> > should do nothing more than push buttons and be rewarded with actions,
> > reagrdless how those actions are achieved.
> >
> > Let's say I will be interested in systemd on small systems *after*
> openwrt
> > and other embedded distributions adopt it *and* the inevitable anguished
> > help cries on relevant forums die down a bit. That could take a year or
> two
> > after they start using it, judging by how things went in the past. I so
> wish
> > I am wrong about the time-frame.
> >
> > Until then, I see systemd based kernels as a fork... harsh, but a serious
> > problem for people who need to tinker under the hood frequently, as I
> have to.
>
> I didn't say systemd was a good solution, I just said the scripts
> are crap.
>
> I would love to see a good solution.  I saw a comment from Rob Landley
> about creating a small version of launchd (which I think he intends to
> name lunchd) as part of his toybox package.  He has quite the rant about
> systemd here: https://forums.darknedgy.net/viewtopic.php?id=3844
>
> And yes for small systems systemd is not an option.  I currently don't
> expect to ever use systemd on the routers we make at work.  They are
> probably nowhere near as small as what you are dealing with though.
>
> --
> Len Sorensen
> --
> The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
> TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
> How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists
>



-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
[email protected]

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<div dir=3D"ltr">This is the second systemd thread message I&#39;ve seen th=
at is a response to Peter (the first being Jamon&#39;s response, which star=
ted the thread for me).=C2=A0 I never received either message from Peter.=
=C2=A0 I have no idea why not, but I have to hope that the move to the new =
mail server is coming soon and will solve these problems.<br>
<div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 18 August=
 2014 10:33, Lennart Sorensen <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:lsore=
nse-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/[email protected]</a>=
&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 07:11:34AM +0000, Pe=
ter wrote:<br>
&gt; Let&#39;s be honest (warning: I am into VERY small systems which proba=
bly have<br>
&gt; no room for systemd - but see below):<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The scripts are not the problem. The problem is the daemons and other =
things<br>
&gt; they start/stop, which can be programmed in ways which make them<br>
&gt; nonresponsive for a variety of reasons. init(1) has a sane way to cope=
 with<br>
&gt; runaway processes, by making them sleep for a bit if they go insane. Z=
ombies<br>
&gt; should be dealt with by process group mechanisms which exist, but are =
not<br>
&gt; used by anyone. It is really easy to write a bit of code which registe=
rs<br>
&gt; &quot;children to be killed in case of process group leader demise&quo=
t; perhaps<br>
&gt; directly into /var/run/thedaemon.pid files, to be used by a slightly m=
odded<br>
&gt; init(1) when a process dies or runs away.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Adding systemd is not going to change that. A daemon that dies repeate=
dly<br>
&gt; very quickly will have to be &quot;quarantined&quot; for a while. syst=
emd will not fix<br>
&gt; the underlying problem, which is certain daemons are not high quality =
and<br>
&gt; robust. Using systemd to &quot;fix&quot; them is, imho, barking up the=
 wrong tree.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; What systemd *could* have done, is to replace the need for sh(1) and i=
nit(1)<br>
&gt; in small systems assuming it would have some sort of shell or smnp int=
erface<br>
&gt; for control from a shell-less terminal, serial line, or network connec=
tion.<br>
&gt; It would also have to be rather good at doing system things to replace=
 sh<br>
&gt; and init in size, so sh(1) would not be needed at all, as those 2 toge=
ther<br>
&gt; are fairly small (assuming ash or another startup sh compatible shell =
is<br>
&gt; used), and do a LOT of things besides running sysv init scripts.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The way it is now, I see systemd as an unneeded complication which wil=
l<br>
&gt; break many many things before starting to work &quot;right&quot; for m=
ost people. And<br>
&gt; by most people I explicitly exclude &quot;ready made&quot; distributio=
n users a la<br>
&gt; ubuntu etc., who are end users, and, who, by their own (!) definition,=
<br>
&gt; should do nothing more than push buttons and be rewarded with actions,=
<br>
&gt; reagrdless how those actions are achieved.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Let&#39;s say I will be interested in systemd on small systems *after*=
 openwrt<br>
&gt; and other embedded distributions adopt it *and* the inevitable anguish=
ed<br>
&gt; help cries on relevant forums die down a bit. That could take a year o=
r two<br>
&gt; after they start using it, judging by how things went in the past. I s=
o wish<br>
&gt; I am wrong about the time-frame.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Until then, I see systemd based kernels as a fork... harsh, but a seri=
ous<br>
&gt; problem for people who need to tinker under the hood frequently, as I =
have to.<br>
<br>
I didn&#39;t say systemd was a good solution, I just said the scripts<br>
are crap.<br>
<br>
I would love to see a good solution.=C2=A0 I saw a comment from Rob Landley=
<br>
about creating a small version of launchd (which I think he intends to<br>
name lunchd) as part of his toybox package.=C2=A0 He has quite the rant abo=
ut<br>
systemd here: <a href=3D"https://forums.darknedgy.net/viewtopic.php?id=3D38=
44" target=3D"_blank">https://forums.darknedgy.net/viewtopic.php?id=3D3844<=
/a><br>
<br>
And yes for small systems systemd is not an option.=C2=A0 I currently don&#=
39;t<br>
expect to ever use systemd on the routers we make at work.=C2=A0 They are<b=
r>
probably nowhere near as small as what you are dealing with though.<br>
<span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br>
--<br>
Len Sorensen<br>
--<br>
The Toronto Linux Users Group.=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Meetings: <a href=3D"htt=
p://gtalug.org/" target=3D"_blank">http://gtalug.org/</a><br>
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns<br>
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: <a href=3D"http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists" target=
=3D"_blank">http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists</a><br>
</font></span></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>Giles<br>=
<a href=3D"http://www.gilesorr.com/">http://www.gilesorr.com/</a><br><a hre=
f=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>
</div></div></div>

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The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists