c-ludenberg
20a78051d6
- index/installer/launcher: release facts, SDDM theme (pixie on master), init/DE selectors, NoExtract for Install Artix entry - packages: branding pkg ships offline+online settings (no packagechooser.conf fallback), drop antergos-sddm-theme, correct repo index names - overlays/overlay-root/overlay-live: root-overlay is live-session only, real file trees, symlinked settings.conf, commit reference - desktop-environments/wallpapers: remove No Desktop option, video wallpaper via layan-theme + Smart Video Wallpaper Reborn - ci/development/building: three workflows incl. ai-moderator, IA upload disabled (if:false) - byode: new page documenting the SteamOS-inspired offline installer - AGENTS.md/openrc: OpenRC was an installer-only dinit conflict; manual rc-update add works
102 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
102 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: OpenRC
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layout: default
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parent: Init Systems
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nav_order: 1
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---
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# OpenRC
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**OpenRC** is a traditional init system used by Gentoo, Artix Linux, Devuan, Alpine Linux, and other non-systemd distributions. It is well-established, actively maintained, and provides a balance of simplicity and feature completeness.
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> **Note:** Earlier Antergos NeXT builds shipped OpenRC as an install-time option, but it conflicted with dinit during the installer flow (services didn't enable correctly). OpenRC is no longer an install-time option. On an already-installed system, manual switching via `rc-update add` works fine — see [Changing init](changing-init).
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## Comparison with systemd
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| Feature | systemd | OpenRC |
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|---------|--------|--------|
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| Log storage | Binary journal (`journalctl`) | Plain text files (`/var/log/`) |
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| Service control | `systemctl start/stop/enable` | `rc-service start/stop`, `rc-update add/del` |
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| Dependency handling | Automatic, parallel | Manual (`need`/`use`/`before`/`after`) |
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| Configuration format | `.service` unit files (INI-like) | Shell scripts (`/etc/init.d/`) |
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| Binary footprint | ~80+ binaries | ~15 binaries |
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| Scope | Init + logind + resolved + timedated + networkd + more | Init only |
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## What changes for you as a user?
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### Service management
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| Task | systemd | OpenRC |
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|------|---------|--------|
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| Start a service | `sudo systemctl start sshd` | `sudo rc-service sshd start` |
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| Stop a service | `sudo systemctl stop sshd` | `sudo rc-service sshd stop` |
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| Enable at boot | `sudo systemctl enable sshd` | `sudo rc-update add sshd` |
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| Disable at boot | `sudo systemctl disable sshd` | `sudo rc-update del sshd` |
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| Check status | `systemctl status sshd` | `rc-service sshd status` |
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| List enabled | `systemctl list-unit-files --enabled` | `rc-update show` |
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| View logs | `journalctl -u sshd` | `less /var/log/messages` |
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### Key commands
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```bash
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# List all services with their runlevel
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rc-status
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# List enabled services
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rc-update show
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# Add a service to a runlevel
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rc-update add <service> <runlevel>
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# Remove a service
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rc-update del <service> <runlevel>
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# Start/stop/restart a service
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rc-service <service> start
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rc-service <service> stop
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rc-service <service> restart
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```
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Runlevels in OpenRC work like directories under `/etc/runlevels/`:
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```
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/etc/runlevels/
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├── boot # Low-level system services (filesystems, udev, etc.)
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├── sysinit # System initialization (hwclock, hostname, etc.)
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├── default # Normal boot services (NetworkManager, sshd, etc.)
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└── shutdown # Shutdown services
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```
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## Rationale for non-systemd
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Antergos NeXT uses Dinit as its init system. The switch away from systemd was motivated by three factors:
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1. **Scope expansion** — systemd has grown beyond process supervision to include logind, resolved, timedated, networkd, homed, and other subsystems. This consolidates OS management into a single project with an expanding scope.
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2. **SysV compatibility removal** — systemd 260 (March 2026) removed `systemd-sysv-generator`, `rc-local.service`, and related legacy compatibility code, breaking distributions that were not fully systemd-native.
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3. **Age verification (PR [#40954](https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/40954))** — merged March 2026, this added `birthDate` fields to userdb JSON for age verification compliance. While optional at the time of writing, the precedent raises concerns about future requirements.
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## When to use OpenRC
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OpenRC is suitable for users who want a well-documented, traditional init system with explicit dependency management. Its shell-script-based service files are straightforward to write and debug. Users migrating from Gentoo, Alpine, or Devuan will find OpenRC familiar.
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OpenRC does not include built-in process supervision. Users who want automatic service restart on crash should consider Runit or S6 instead.
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## Compatibility
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Most desktop software is agnostic to the init system. Browsers, editors, games, and media players function identically regardless of what manages PID 1.
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Software that does depend on systemd and will not function:
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- `systemctl`, `journalctl`, `loginctl`, `timedatectl`
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- GNOME (dropped non-systemd support upstream)
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- Native `.service` unit files (systemd-only format)
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Logs are written to plain text files under `/var/log/messages` and can be read with any text viewer.
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## Learning more
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- [OpenRC documentation](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/OpenRC)
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- [Gentoo Handbook: OpenRC](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Full/Installation#OpenRC)
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- [Comparison of init systems (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_init_systems)
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