docs: add Init Systems parent page with Dinit, Runit, S6 children
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title: Init Systems
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layout: default
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nav_order: 3
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has_children: true
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# Init Systems
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An **init system** is the first process that runs when your computer boots (PID 1). It's responsible for starting everything else — filesystems, networking, display manager, services, and more. Think of it as the foreman at a construction site: it doesn't do the work itself, but it makes sure everything gets started in the right order.
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Antergos NeXT lets you choose between **four** init systems during installation. This page explains each one so you can pick what suits you.
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> Don't know what init to choose? **Stick with OpenRC** — it's the default, it's well-tested, and it's what most Artix users run.
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## The inits
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| Init | Philosophy | Complexity | Speed | Used by |
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|------|-----------|------------|-------|---------|
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| [OpenRC](openrc) | Simple, modular, Unix-like | Low | Fast | Gentoo, Artix, Devuan, Alpine |
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| [Dinit](dinit) | Modern, dependency-based | Medium | Very fast | New projects, minimal systems |
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| [Runit](runit) | Minimal, reliable, Unix-like | Low | Very fast | Void Linux, AntiX |
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| [S6](s6) | Supervision-based, secure | Medium-High | Very fast | New projects, embedded |
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## Choosing an init
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| If you want... | Pick... |
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|----------------|---------|
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| Something familiar and well-documented | OpenRC |
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| The fastest boot possible | Dinit or S6 |
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| The simplest, most Unix-like approach | Runit |
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| Advanced supervision and process management | S6 |
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## What they all have in common
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- **No systemd** — all four are independent implementations
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- **Service scripts** — services are configured via files in `/etc/`
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- **Runlevels** — groups of services that start together
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- **Logging to files** — logs go to `/var/log/`, not `journalctl`
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## What's different
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The main differences are in:
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1. **How services are defined** — OpenRC uses shell scripts, Dinit uses a declarative config format, Runit uses executable scripts, S6 uses a supervision tree
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2. **How they manage dependencies** — some handle it automatically, some leave it to you
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3. **How they supervise processes** — some restart crashed services automatically, some don't
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4. **How fast they boot** — Dinit and S6 are designed for parallel startup and are noticeably faster
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## Learning Linux with init systems
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If you're new to Linux, learning about init systems is a great way to understand how your OS works under the hood. Here's why:
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- **You'll learn about processes** — PID 1, service trees, process supervision
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- **You'll learn about boot order** — what needs to start before what
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- **You'll learn about dependencies** — why NetworkManager needs dbus, why dbus needs udev
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- **You'll learn about logging** — where logs go, how to read them
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- **You'll learn about runlevels** — why your system behaves differently in single-user mode vs normal boot
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The best part? If you break something with services, you can always fix it — service management is much simpler than kernel config or package management.
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> **Pro tip**: If you're dual-booting or using a VM, try all four inits. Install a test system with OpenRC first, then reinstall with Dinit, then Runit, then S6. See which one feels right.
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